Prompt Me
by jekkah
Summary: A series of drabbles written from the Fanfiction Drabble Prompt Challenge over on Facebook. Details in Chapter 1. All prompts have a Mary/Marshall slant.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: So, over on Facebook, we have a **Fanfiction Drabble Prompt Challenge** where we are given a quote each day to use to write a 500 or less word drabble. It's suppose to go on for a year. We had a similar lyric challenge in the past. I've decided to attempt to do this one for In Plain Sight (as the last one is dedicated to Criminal Minds). I hope you enjoy the drabbles! And if anyone would like to join, please contact me on FB – **Jekkah Fanfiction**._

**PROMPT #001 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"Remember what you said. When you start blaming yourself for things that weren't your fault... there's no coming back from that."

He knew Mary blamed herself for his broken engagement. After all, Marshall had made her promise to back away, to not call. And she had done just that. For six months, not a single phone call passed from her to him of a personal natural.

That all changed the night Mark and Norah were hit by a drunk driver.

Mark was killed instantly. His last act as a father was to turn the car so that the back passenger side, where Norah's car seat sat, received the least impact, sealing his own fate. Still, Norah ended up in critical condition.

Overwhelmed by worry, and in a daze, Mary's first call was to Marshall. He rushed to her side and remained there until Norah opened those bright, blue eyes three days later. After another two, Mary calmed down enough to realize what she had requested of him and sent him home.

He opened the door to a note and an empty closet.

Mary pulled sharply away from him after that. She became quiet, nearly withdrawn. It came to a head when Marshall received an e-mail from the Chicago office about a job posting that Mary inquired about. He bullied her onto the same spot where they had that conversation nearly eight months before.

Marshall yelled at her until she agreed it wasn't her fault. Then, he kissed her until she melted into his arms. He apologized for the speech until they were both in tears. Then, she dragged him out of the office and to her home.

He stayed for the remainder of their lives.

**PROMPT #002 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"That's what's important, isn't it. He was wrong and you were right, and while you were arguing about it the little girl died."

"What are you doing here, Mare?" Marshall asked as he walked up to Mary. His cool exterior as he peered down to her gave away none of the inner turmoil and fear that he felt.

"Watching. Thinking. Trying not to think," she replied, her eyes remaining on the workers cutting the baseball field in front of her.

Marshall sighed as he sat down next to her. "You had Mark in a near panic. He said today was the first time that you let him pick up Norah unplanned and it seems that it threw him into a tizzy."

Mary huffed. "Don't say 'tizzy'."

"His vexation was high enough that he called me," Marshall continued as if he hadn't heard her. "Mark doesn't call me. Ever."

"I'm trying to grow as a person," she retorted. After a beat, "I'm sorry he called you. He shouldn't have done that."

Inwardly, he cringed as he was once again reminded of the distance between the two of them. "Of course, he should have. I'm your best friend."

Mary froze. "Are you?" She kept going when he opened his mouth to protest. "Because I'm pretty sure that my best friend would know that my daughter took her first steps last week. My best friend would know that Jinx fell off the wagon, and that, while it was only for a night, I had to threaten to take away the kids to get her to go back to meetings. My best friend would know that Brandi's showing all the signs of taking off again because new motherhood is too much for her. My best friend would know all of these things. Do you?"

"No," Marshall whispered.

"There you go." She stood and began to walk away.

"It's your father's birthday," Marshall called out. She stopped and turned towards him. "He used to take you to baseball games when things were good and the track was closed. That's why you're here. It's also part of the reason that you stuck around with Raph for so long and why you panicked every time he wasn't part of the team. You thought it was a sign that you belonged together."

Marshall advanced towards. "I am your best friend. I may not have acted like it lately, but I am. And I'm going to prove it to you."

Mary stuck a hand on her hip. "What about Detective Barbie?"

"We're over. We just haven't finalized it yet."

"So, now that she's dumped you, this is what? You crawling back because you have no one else?" Mary asked, unable to hide the hurt in her voice.

Marshall shook his head. "This about me putting things right with us."

She gave him a tight smile. She tossed over her shoulder as she moved away. "You can start by buying me a beer."

**PROMPT #003 - NORAH**

"When the people around you are all one way, and you're not... You can't help but feel like there's something wrong with you."

She hated spending time with her dad's family. She loved her dad and her grandma. They rarely understood her, but they tried. She couldn't say the same about her step-mother and her step-siblings made it plainly clear that they thought she was weird.

She didn't like spending time with her mother's family much either. They loved her, too, but she spent her entire time defending her likes and dislikes and why she didn't want to do dance or wear pigtails. Besides, the comparisons to her cousin were more than she could take most days.

She was fairly indifferent to school. She didn't care for most of them, but she got along with nearly all of them. She had gotten a reputation early on as one not to be messed with and one who would defend others, which allowed her to easily move through the different groups with little friction. It also allowed her to be scary smart without being hassled.

There was no place that she would rather be than in her home, eating dinner at the dining room table, her step-father sitting across from her, quizzing her on random facts, while her mother alternately rolled her eyes and beamed with pride. They never treated her as odd; never asked her to be anything she wasn't. They knew when to draw her out and when to let her be.

With them, she never felt anything but normal.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Special thanks to **Hannanball13**, **Jayne Leigh**, **Meg**, **JMS529**, and **JJ2008** for the reviews!

**QUOTE PROMPT #004 - MARY**

"We stock up on our glories, keep 'em treasured - right here, in the hope that one day when we're old they'll keep us going, because they are our lives. If we lose our talents, we are dead men. You're gonna look back on today, it's gonna be one of your treasures, because we are gonna hold on, no matter what they throw at us. We don't die today gentlemen. We go out there and we live forever."

When she was young, before her father left, Mary considered it a good day when both her parents were home to kiss her good night. When she was slightly older, after her father left, it was a good day when it ended with just her mother, her sister, and herself in whatever apartment they were staying in that month. When she was a teenager, it was a good day when she came home from her waitress job with thirty dollars in her pocket and her sister in her bed instead of out running the streets.

When she was in her twenties, she thought it was a good day when she found a virile, young man to take home with her. Later, she thought it was a good day when the aches and pains of basic training allowed her to sleep at night. Later still, it was a good day when the fugitive she was after was locked up tight behind bars and she had a nice, cold beer in her hand.

After becoming a marshal for Witness Protection, she called it a good day when her witnesses were tucked in safe and she didn't receive a phone call after nine. As she and Marshall became friends, it was a good day when she exasperated him no fewer than five times. When her mother and sister came to stay with her, it was a good day when neither of them were fighting with her and hadn't been hauled off by the police.

There days, she deemed it a good day when she woke up to a kiss from her husband. If her daughter let them sleep in past six am, it was even better. When Marshall made them dinner and gave Norah her bath, it was a wonderful day. But the days that ended with the three of them cuddled on the couch or in bed were pure heaven.

**QUOTE PROMPT #005 – MARY/MARSHALL/NORAH**

"That's what's important, isn't it. He was wrong and you were right, and while you were arguing about it the little girl died."

"That's enough!" Marshall roared, shutting both Mary and Mark up. They looked at him, stunned, as the usual peacemaker lost his cool. In his arms, holding tightly to his chest, was their three-year-old daughter. "Listen to yourselves. You're not even trying to compromise anymore. You just want to win over the other."

"Marshall-"

"No!" he cut Mary off, forcefully. "You are terrifying your daughter and it has to stop."

"Norah, honey," Mark soothed, stepping forward. He placed his hand on her back only to have Norah kick her foot at him and bury herself deeper into Marshall's chest. Mark glanced at Mary and sighed.

Marshall kissed Norah's head as he rubbed circles over her back. "Norah and I are going to play in the backyard. You two need to figure this out now."

He marched Norah into the backyard. He calmed her down. After a few minutes, he had her running around the yard chasing a soccer ball. Marshall smiled as she giggled when the ball hit off the fence and bounced off her legs.

"Hey," Mary whispered, running her fingers through his hair. She sat down beside him on the back stairs, settling her gaze on her daughter. "I'm sorry. You were right. We were so caught up in getting our way, that we didn't stop to think about what it would do to Norah."

"So, have you come to a decision?"

Mary nodded. She intertwined their hands and leaned against him. "Yes. I'm going to let him have her for a month this summer, but we're going to visit her two weekends during that time. And if she hasn't settled after a week, we're going to pick her up and bring her home."

He kissed her temple. "It's a good compromise. He's a good dad. That won't change just because he's moved away."

"We've made one other compromise." She grinned sheepishly when he looked at her curiously. "It seems that our little Bug has been calling you 'Daddy Marshall' when she's around Mark."

"What?" Marshall whispered, sharply.

Mary nodded. "I'm just as surprised as you. But, Mark has decided that he's okay with her calling you that all time... as long as we make it clear that he's top dog."

"I-" He stopped when Norah ran over to him and wrapped her arms around his leg, laying her head on his thigh. "Hey there, Bug."

"I love you," Norah told him before running off again.

"I love you, too," Marshall croaked, overcome with emotion. Mary squeezed his hand. She laid her head on his shoulder as they watched her twirling around the yard. Marshall put his head on top of hers. "That's a pretty amazing kid we have there."

Mary smiled. "Yeah, she is."

**QUOTE PROMPT #006 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"Remember what you said. When you start blaming yourself for things that weren't your fault... there's no coming back from that."

"Mary, talk to me," Marshall begged.

"I have nothing to say to you. I've turned in my reports for the week. I just need to look up a few apartments for my witness and then I'm out of here for the weekend," Mary replied, keeping her eyes deliberately on the screen in front of her.

He placed his hands on the desk and leaned forward. "You can't keep shutting me out."

She glanced up at him, her eyes blazing. "I am talking to you. About work. I am talking to you about work because that is all we are allowed to talk about anymore."

"That's not true," he protested.

"That is true," Mary countered, "and you know it. You told me to back away. I backed away. You have done nothing but try to hold onto me since that. And look where that's gotten you."

Marshall threw his hands up in the air. "Finally! Finally, we are getting somewhere." Marshall groaned as Mary turned her attention back to her computer. He once again leaned forward. He took a deep breath. "It wasn't your fault."

Mary froze, though she kept her focus on the screen.

"I broke off my engagement with Abigail because I didn't love her enough to make a life with her." His voice was low. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"I-"

"You didn't do anything wrong," Marshall reiterated. "This isn't on you." He paused. "I need you to believe that. Do you believe that?"

Mary hesitated before nodding slowly.

Relief rolled over Marshall. "Good. Because there's one more thing that I need you to believe."

"What?" she huffed after a few moments.

"I am completely and hopelessly in love with you." Marshall smiled and stood up straight. "Have a good weekend."

She waited a beat after he left the office to leap to her feet. She ran towards the elevator where he was waiting. "Marshall, wait up!" She pushed him into the elevator and backed him against the wall. She looped her arms around his neck. "I think I'm going to need some convincing on that belief."

"You do, huh?"

"Yep. In fact, I think it may take all weekend long."

Marshall raised his eyebrow. "Norah's at Mark's?" She nodded. "Then, I think I can convince you." He captured his mouth in a tender kiss.

Mary was breathless by the time she broke the kiss. "Oh, I'm starting to believe already."


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Note: Special thanks to **JMS529**, **MegManning**, and **JJ2008** for the reviews!_

**QUOTE PROMPT #007 – MARSHALL/NORAH**

"There's some good in this world and it's worth fighting for"

"Why are you talking to me and not Mom?" Seven-year-old Norah asked her step-father.

"Because Mom is at work," Marshall explained, wiping the dirt from Norah's face, "and because she's pretty angry about you fighting again when you promised that you wouldn't fight anymore."

Norah frowned. "But, she also told me that I should stand up for myself and for others."

Marshall nodded. "That's true. But standing up for yourself doesn't have to mean using violence."

"You and Mom carry guns," Norah countered.

"Yes, we do. We also do everything we can not to use our guns. We try to use our words instead," Marshall explained.

Norah looked at him, sadly. "Oh."

He brushed the hair from her forehead. "So, do you want to tell me what you were fighting about?"

"Jeremy Sachs was picking on Harlow again," she admitted. She squirmed under his scrutiny. "He keeps telling her that there's something wrong with her because I have two dads and a mom that love me, but she doesn't have any parents that love her."

"She-" Marshall stopped as his voice cracked. Harlow was Brandi's six-year-old daughter. She had come to live with them permanently when she was three after bouncing around with Brandi for her first three years. "Does Harlow think that there is something wrong with her?"

Norah shrugged. "Sometimes. She says she wishes that you and Mom were her parents instead of Aunt Brandi because then someone would love her like you love me."

Marshall absently rubbed his jaw. He thought they had done so well bringing Harlow into their lives. They loved her just as much as they loved Norah and treated her as their own.

"Marshall?" Norah said. It was obvious from the expression on her face that she had been calling him for awhile. "How much trouble am I in?"

"I'm going to have to talk to Mom, but I don't think you'll be in too much trouble since you were defending your cousin," Marshall told her.

Norah grinned. "Can I go read for awhile?"

Marshall nodded and helped her down from the counter. He stopped her at the edge of the kitchen. "Hey, Norah? What would you think if we made Harlow your sister instead of your cousin?"

"That'd be pretty cool."

"Go read. I'll call you when Mom's home." Marshall chuckled when he heard her singing down the hall. He grabbed his phone to call his wife. "Hey, Mare. Remember when we were talking about formally adopting Harlow? I think it's time."

**QUOTE PROMPT #008 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"You may think your only choices are to swallow your anger or throw it in someone's face. But there's always a third option, you can just let it go. And only when you've done that is it really gone and you can move forward."

"What do you mean you're not angry?"

Marshall tried to hide the grin on his face that threatened to spill out over the incredulous tone in his former partner's voice. "It was six months ago."

Mary scoffed. "She was your fiancée! Your fiancée that made you give up your best friend. Your fiancée that cheated on you with not just your brother, but his wife as well, destroying their marriage, too!"

"Jack and Meg were already on thin ice. They have been for many years," Marshall countered.

"She still cheated on you!" Mary spun around so that her back was to him. "I don't understand how you can just forget that and move on."

Marshall stepped behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder. He turned her. "I haven't forgotten it. If I had forgotten it, we would still be together. But I had to move on; I had to forgive her."

Mary focused her eyes on his top button as she whispered, "Why?"

"I had to let her go, let it go so that I could do this." He kissed her forehead and raised her chin. "I love you, Mary Shannon, and I always will. Whether I just remain your friend for the rest of my life or whether we eventually move onto something else, no one will ever come between us again. I had to let it go so that nothing stood between us; not fear, guilt, or anger."

"Marshall-"

"Ssh." He hushed her with another kiss to her forehead. "The only thing I'm asking is that you forgive me for ever thinking I could let you go."

She grew quiet for a few moments, her gaze falling to the floor. Mary sighed. "I've already forgiven you." She suppressed a smile when she felt him freeze with surprise. "See, if I hadn't let it go then I couldn't do this." She grabbed his shirt and pulled him down for a searing kiss.

"Wow," Marshall gasped when they came up for air.

"Wow," Mary agreed. "You know what I think?"

Marshall tilted his head to the side. "What?"

She smirked. "I think we should head home and see what else we can 'let go'."

**QUOTE PROMPT #009 – MARSHALL/OC KID**

"If you had never visited us, never chosen this place on a whim. Would anybody here have died?"

"How is she today?" Marshall asked his wife when she walked into the kitchen where he was preparing Sunday breakfast.

Mary shrugged, swiping a piece of bacon. "She doesn't want to talk. Norah has her watching cartoons right now."

Marshall pulled her into a hug, kissing the top of her head. "How are you doing?"

"Okay, I guess. I mean, it's been over four years. I-"

"Uncle Marshall?" Mary and Marshall turned to find their seven-year-old niece standing in the doorway. Isabella looked up at them with her big, brown eyes. "Can I help with breakfast?"

Marshall glanced Mary. "Absolutely, Princess." He lifted her onto the counter as Mary slipped out of the room. "Want to help with the french toast?"

Isabella nodded. She dumped a few pieces of bread into the bowl before speaking again. "Uncle Marshall, did you know my mom?"

Marshall regarded her for a moment. This wasn't exactly new information. "Yes, I did, for a long time."

"What was she like?" Isabella asked.

"She was a lot fun. She was beautiful. She was funny, caring, and sweet." He tapped Isabella's nose. "No matter what happened to her, she always looked on the bright side of things."

"Like Grandma?"

Marshall nodded. "Like Grandma."

She took a deep breath. "Grandma says that my mom died because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Grandma was talking to you about your mom?" Marshall tensed over the thought. They had asked Jinx not to talk to her alone about Brandi as Jinx had a tendency to upset Isabella.

"No, I asked her..." Isabella's voice trailed off.

Marshall nudged her knee. "What did you ask?"

She scrunched up her nose in a move that reminded Marshall so much of Brandi his heart ached a little. "I asked her if my mom would be okay if I called you and Aunt Mary 'Mom' and 'Dad'."

"And what did Grandma say?" Marshall questioned, cautiously, not sure how Jinx would take that news.

"She said that my mom thought you were the best parents in the whole world," Isabella relayed.

His breath hitched. "What do you think?"

Isabella grinned. "I think she's right. Except for bedtime. I think I should stay up as late as Norah."

"Maybe in a year." Marshall turned the stove off and turned to her. "Would you like to call us Mom and Dad?" Isabella nodded, shyly. "Would you like me to talk to Aunt Mary about it?" Again, she nodded. "You got a deal. Now, go let Aunt Mary and Norah know that breakfast is ready."

"Okay!" She jumped off the counter and skipped away. Marshall stood for a moment and watched her go. His heart felt fuller than he could remember in a long time. He always thought marrying Mary would be his best day after, but today, today, he found life wasn't quite done with good things for his family.


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's Note: Special thanks to **JJ2008**, **Jayne Leigh**, **MegManning**, and **Hannanball13** for the reviews! Some of the ideas in some of these just might end up a future fic. _

**QUOTE PROMPT #010 - MARY/MARSHALL**

"_There's always a choice between what is right and what is easy."_

"Why are you here?" Mary hissed as she stood in her doorway at three in the morning. "You're getting married in twelve hours."

"No," Marshall replied, hoarsely, "I'm not."

Mary flinched as lightening flashed behind him. "What are you talking about?"

Marshall sighed. "We broke up. She's keeping the house, the dog, and the ring."

"Why?"

He hesitated. "Why is she keeping the house, the dog, and the ring?"

Mary rolled her eyes. "Why did you break up?"

"Because I don't love her enough."

She stumbled back slightly as the words of her own broken engagement washed over her. "That's crazy. I've seen you with her. This is just nerves; cold feet."

Marshall took a step forward. "It's not. I don't love her enough to tease her all day just because I can. I don't love her enough to let her see the dark side of me, the side that hurts, the side that's ugly." He reached out and grabbed her wrists, pulling her flush against him. "I don't love her enough to give up my dream of a sarcastic wife and two little blond girls running around. I don't love her enough to stop loving you."

Mary's skin tingled where his fingers stroked her. "You love me?" He nodded. "Enough to put up with my corrosiveness?" Again, he nodded. "And my fear of intimacy?" He smirked as he nodded. "And my insane family?"

"I love you, Mary," Marshall breathed out. "No other woman will ever be enough."

Mary's heart pounded in her ear and she struggled to breathe. She dragged her eyes to his, bathing in his warmth and love. For the first time since she was a small child, she felt peace. "I love you, too."

**QUOTE PROMPT 011 - BRANDI**

"One day I shall come back. Yes I shall come back. Until then there can be no fears, no regrets, no anxieties. Just move forward in all your beliefs and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine."

"You were suppose to be her last week," Mary whispered as loudly as she could into the phone without disturbing the two children playing with Marshall nearby.

"I know. I'm sorry," Brandi replied. "It's just that this job is taking longer than I thought it would."

Mary sighed, rubbing her forehead with her hands, catching Marshall's attention. "When do you think you'll be back?"

Brandi frowned. "I'm not sure. Things are going really well. Did you get the money that I sent you?"

"Yeah, but you really don't have to do that. We're fine. You should save up whatever you can."

"Has he asked for me?" Brandi asked, almost shyly, changing the subject.

Mary glanced at her two-year-old nephew. "Sure."

"Really?"

"No!" Mary shouted. "It's been over six months since he's seen you. He doesn't ask for you anymore." Mary bit her bottom lip as Marshall wrapped his arms around her, rocking her slightly to calm her down. "You need to come home."

Brandi forced down a sigh. "I'm going to send some papers making you and Marshall his guardian."

"Brandi-"

She continued as if she hadn't heard. "It's just that with my job so crazy right now, I want to make sure that he's protected, that he's safe."

Mary laid her head against Marshall's shoulder. "Fine."

"I have to go," Brandi said, abruptly. "I'll try to call next week. Bye."

Brandi hung up the phone before Mary had a chance to respond. She tossed the phone on the seat beside her before gripping the steering wheel. She watched through the windshield as Marshall leaned down to give Mary a reassuring kiss. He released her just as the kids leapt onto him. With Mary's help, they knocked him to the ground. Brandi could hear their laughter from across the park. With one final look, she turned on the car and drove away.

**QUOTE PROMPT #012 – MARY/MARSHALL/NORAH**

"I tried to convince myself the reason I didn't come earlier was because of you coming in to work drunk, but that's not it. I was scared. I guess after all this time I still think of you as like this superhero that'll help me out in any situation I'm in. I needed that."

"Mary," Seth interrupted, gruffly. "I've tried. His mother has tried. His brothers. Stan. None of us can get through to him. He just lies there in bed all day long. You're kind of our last hope."

"Then you really are screwed," Mary retorted. She sighed when Seth didn't reply. "I haven't talked to him since a week before the wedding."

"At his bachelor party," Seth said.

Mary grew quiet, recalling that night. "Yeah."

Seth huffed a puff of air. "Please."

"Have everyone out of the house in thirty minutes."

When Mary arrived at the house exactly thirty-two minutes later, she found the driveway deserted. She gathered Norah up from the backseat, along with her diaper bag before entering the house. The house felt sad, though nothing in Mary's sight appeared out of the ordinary.

"Okay, Bug. Time to do your thing," Mary muttered to her daughter. She quietly snuck the one-year-old into Marshall's bedroom where he was curled into a tight ball, fast asleep. Mary kissed Norah's forehead before placing her on the bed. Mary stepped outside of the bedroom and waited.

Nearly ten minutes later, Marshall appeared with Norah in his arms. His eyes were red, but his cheeks had some color in them. He wordlessly handed Norah back to Mary, but instead of returning to the bedroom, he padded down the hall to the bathroom. A few minutes later, Mary heard the shower turn on.

Smiling to herself, Mary took Norah to the living room. She sent Norah up with some toys on the floor before sitting on the couch, her foot shaking nervously as she waited for Marshall to return. Mary heard his voice float down the hall before she saw him.

"Yes, Mom, I'm fine. I'm sorry I worried you. No, I think you and Dad should stay at the hotel tonight. No, really, I'm fine. I'm going to hang out with Mary and Norah tonight." Marshall rounded the corner to the living room. He leaned against the doorway as he listened to his mother speak, his eyes following Norah as she played. "No, Mom. I think I just needed to be reminded that I was still someone's hero. Why don't we meet for breakfast tomorrow and I'll tell you all about it."

Marshall hung up the phone and sat beside Mary on the couch. He grabbed her hand as he smiled at Norah. Marshall kept his face forward as he said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome."


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: Special thanks to **SoManyJimFeels**, **JJ2008**, **redbrainbluebrain**, **JMS529**, and **Jayne Leigh** for the reviews! I apologize for the bitterness of the first one, but I had to look up the finale balcony scene and it made me bitter. Really bitter.

**PROMPT #013 – MARY/BRANDI**

_"I thought that all the risks would be worth it, because just beyond the next planet, just beyond the next star... there would be something magnificent, something noble. And now he is dead, and I have to make a speech about how worthwhile it's all been."_

"No!" Mary screamed, bolting upward.

"Mary!" Brandi shouted, bursting into Mary's room. She gasped when she saw Mary hunched over, sweat pouring from her body. Timidly, Brandi sat down on the edge of the bed. "Mary?"

Mary took a gulp of air before looking up at her sister. Her eyes were slightly wild, but she seemed to be calmer than just a few minutes ago. "I'm okay. It was just a bad dream."

Brandi bit her bottom lip. "Another one about Marshall?"

"Yeah," Mary whispered after a slight hesitation.

"He died again?"

Mary huffed in irritation. "Yeah."

Brandi reached out and touched Mary's blanket covered leg. "You know, I took a psychology class and in it, we talked about dreams and about symbolism in dreams."

"You can't even spell symbolism," Mary said, flippantly.

"Anyway," Brandi continued, pointedly, "the fact that you keep dreaming about Marshall dying probably means that you feel that he's no longer part of your life; that he's abandoned you in some way."

Mary rolled her eyes. "Thank you, Sigmund Freud." She rubbed her face when Brandi patiently stared at her. "Marshall's getting married next week."

Brandi frowned. "I know. That doesn't mean you're going to lose him."

"You're right," Mary agreed. "I already lost him."

"Mar-"

"Don't pretend you haven't notice, Squish," Mary cut her off, "that he hasn't been around here the last few months. Even Mom asked where he was after Kenny and I... whatever."

Brandi nodded. "I just thought he was busy with the wedding and adjusting to being the boss."

Mary glanced away. "He asked me not to be his friend anymore."

"That doesn't sound like Marshall," Brandi commented, rubbing Mary's leg. "What did he say?"

"He asked me to release him. He told me that as long as I called, he would come, and that he couldn't do that anymore. He said he had to be free." Mary's tone was hushed.

Brandi froze. "What did you say?"

Mary looked down. "That I want him to be happy. That she makes him happy. That I like Abigail."

"Mary, you can't stand her!"

"What was I suppose to say?" Mary shot back. "I wasn't going to stand there and let another man that I trust walk out of my life. No. This time, I get to walk out. See, he thinks everything's fine. He thinks he has his perky wife and his sassy best friend, but he doesn't. She doesn't even really know him. She knows this image that he portrayed to him. But come next Saturday, that's all he's going to have."

Brandi pursed her lips. "I don't understand."

Mary folded her arms. "It's quite simple, really. I won't be showing up to the wedding and my transfer papers will be waiting on his desk when he returns from his honeymoon."

"Are you sure you want to do that, Mare?"

Mary smiled defeatedly. "It's already done."

**PROMPT #014 – MARY/ABIGAIL**

"_We deny that we're tired, we deny that we're scared, we deny how badly we want to succeed. And most importantly, we deny that we're in denial. We only see what we want to see and believe what we want to believe, and it works. We lie to ourselves so much that after a while the lies start to seem like the truth. We deny so much that we can't recognize the truth right in front of our faces."_

"Why am I here, Abigail?" Mary asked, her eyes roving over the woman standing in front of her, dressed in a fluffy, white wedding gown. "You're minutes away from getting married."

"No, I'm not," Abigail replied, a slight hint of anger in her tone. She briefly closed her eyes. "I can't do it. I can't marry a man that isn't fully in love with me."

Mary huffed. "What are you talking about?"

Abigail folded her arms. "Don't play stupid, Mary. It doesn't become you."

"I still don't understand why I'm here," Mary told her, her own voice taking on a tinge of bitterness. "If your fiance isn't in love with you, you need to take it up with him."

"I- I will," Abigail replied, all the fight leaving her suddenly. "I know he told you not to call him. I know you've done just like he asked."

Fire ripped through Mary's body. "Exactly. I gave up my best friend so that he could be happy, so that you both could be happy. The one person I actually wanted to keep around, but I gave him up for you."

Abigail ran her hands over her hair, causing it to fall from the bobby pins in places. "And he's been miserable ever since. He works long hours, even longer than Stan worked just so that he can be with you in some capacity. He doesn't laugh anymore. He barely smiles. Seth won't look us in the eye. His mother thinks there's something wrong with him. He's a shadow of the person he used to be and it's because he doesn't have you."

"I'm sorry," Mary said. "I don't really know what to say."

"Just... just take care of him, Mary," Abigail begged. "Let him in. And for both your sakes, tell him how you really feel. Straight out. Not the half-finished sentences and nonsense that you've done in the past."

Mary hesitated for a moment before giving Abigail a single nod. "What are you going to do?"

Abigail smiled despite herself. "Wait until everyone gets into the church then try to sneak out the back." She pointed to a table off to the side. "I've written Marshall a note. Can you make sure that he gets it?"

"Yeah," Mary agreed. She grabbed the letter and began to leave, pausing at the door. "Good luck, Abigail."

"Good luck to you."

**PROMPT #015 – MARY/NORAH**

"_When I let a day go by without talking to you. That day is just no good."_

"What's the matter, Bug?" Mary asked her eight-year-old daughter, sitting down next to her at the dining room table. Norah had her arms stretched out across the table and her chin on her arm as she stared absently out of window.

"When's Marshall coming home?" Norah asked.

Mary hid a smile as she rubbed Norah's back. "In two days. You know that."

Norah shrugged. "Are you sure that he can't come home sooner?"

"I'm sure. He has to work."

"I know," Norah sighed. "It's just..."

Mary waited for Norah to explain further, but she fell silent. "It's just what, Bug?"

Norah shifted her head so that she could see Mary. "It's just that I wanted to show him my science project and he's suppose to help me with my spelling test."

"I can help you with your spelling test," Mary offered.

"No offense, Mom, but Marshall's like a million times smarter than you," Norah told her, rolling her eyes.

Mary made a face. "I'm pretty sure that I'm smart enough to help you with your spelling words."

Norah sat up, abashed, terrified that she had hurt her mother's feelings. "I know you're smart, Mama. You can help me with my spelling words."

"Norah, it's okay," Mary assured her, knowing that her sensitive daughter would be mortified if she thought that she had caused her mother any grief. Mary sometimes wondered how she ended up with a daughter so delicate, but she attributed it to all the time that she spent with her stepfather. "I know you're just missing Marshall."

"I am, Mama. I haven't talked to him since yesterday!"

"Bug," Mary sighed, brushing Norah's hair from her face, "You know that Marshall loves you very much, right?" Norah nodded. Love was too weak of a word to describe the adoration that Marshall held for his stepdaughter. "And you know that he tries to be home as much as possible, right?" Again, Norah nodded. Marshall had taken a demotion after he and Mary married so that he could spend more time with Norah after Mark moved away. "And if he could call you, he absolutely would. It just means that he's really busy."

Norah nodded. "I-"

She stopped suddenly when Mary's cell phone rang. With a smile that would light up the whole city, she jumped up and ran to answer. Mary herself grinned when she heard Norah answer, "Hello, Marshall? I missed you! I know. I love you, too."


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's Note: Special thanks to **JJ2008** and **Meg** for the reviews! So, for those of you that read my Criminal Minds fics (I know there's one or two) that I have a thing for some crazy pairings. It seems to have finally seeped into IPS, hence Prompt #017. I hope you give it a chance!_

**PROMPT #016 – MARY/SETH MANN**

"_You can call me a sucker, I don't care, because I do believe in it. Bottom line: Couples who are truly right for each other wade through the same crap as everybody else, but the big difference is they don't let it take them down. One of those two people will stand up and fight for that relationship every time. If it's right, and they're real lucky, one of them will say something."_

"Mary," Seth Mann grunted, walking over to her at Marshall's rehearsal dinner.

"Seth," she acknowledged, her eyes following her daughter. Ann Mann, Seth's wife, had commandeered Norah as soon as they reached the restaurant and was having fun showing her off to everyone. "Think I'm going to get your wife to give me back my kid anytime soon?"

Seth turned his gaze to his wife. "Not likely."

Mary sighed. "I'd like to get out of here sometime tonight."

"What are you doing?" Seth asked her.

"Waiting for my kid so I can scram."

Seth sighed. "I mean, what are you doing _here_? Why are you standing on the sidelines? Why aren't you in there fighting for Marshall? Why isn't this _your_ rehearsal that we're at?"

Mary froze. "Uh... I... Um... I really don't-"

"Don't tell me you don't have feelings for him," Seth spat back. "I knew within five minutes of meeting you that you were deeply in love with my son. Completely in denial about it, sure, but it was there."

"He doesn't love me," Mary said, quietly, after a few moments. "At least, not anymore, if he ever did."

Seth's steel eyes found hers. "That's bullshit. My son is head over heels for you. He's just been waiting for a sign from you."

Mary's own eyes flashed with anger. "Then why's he going through all of this?"

"Because he thinks it's what he's suppose to do. He thinks she's the girl that he's suppose to bring home." Seth huffed. "Oh, he loves her in his own way, but she's not what sets his world on fire. She's not who he dreams about at night. She's not the one that he really wants."

"Even if all of that was true, it's too late." Mary rubbed her face with her hand. "He's getting married tomorrow."

Seth nodded. "Which means there's still time. Talk to him, Mary. You'll regret it if you don't."

"What's going on over here?" Marshall asked, nervously, standing in front of the two of them.

"Just having a little chat," Seth replied. He squeezed Mary's shoulder before walking away.

Marshall looked at Mary, expectantly. "Are you going to tell me what you were talking about?"

Mary hesitated before bobbing her head up and down. "Can we talk outside for a bit? There's something that I need to tell you."

**PROMPT #017 – BRANDI/ABIGAIL**

"_Only the good die young."_

Brandi was bored. She was sitting in the middle a bar, sipping a club soda, just completely bored out of her mind. She yearned for a shot of tequila or vodka, but that was all in her past. She was no longer "Where's the party" Brandi Shannon. She was now work nine-to-five as a waitress, raise her son with the help of her mother and sister, drink club soda at a bar Brandi Shannon.

The girls at work had insisted on doing a night out. As Jinx had taken four-month-old Lucas along with Norah for the night, and Mary was off on an assignment with Marshall, Brandi had nothing better to do. It wasn't long ago that she would have been amongst the others currently vying for attention at the pool tables, but not anymore.

She was ready for some bit of excited; something to bring her out of the monotony that she had fallen into. Brandi glanced up at the bar. She was shocked to find Marshall's fiancee sitting there. There was a guy sitting next to her, clearly bothering her. It was an old story to Brandi.

"Hey, honey," Brandi crooned, squeezing in between Abigail and the man. She kissed Abigail's cheek. "I hope you weren't waiting too long for me."

"Uh, no," Abigail replied, recovering quickly. "This gentleman... was just disappearing."

Brandi burst out laughing as she saw the man scurry away. She placed her hand absently on Abigail's knee as she replied, "I hope you don't mind me stepping in. You looked like you could use some help."

Abigail grinned. "I did. Thank you! What are you doing here, anyway? Should you be here?"

"Marshall tell you about that?" Brandi asked, referring to her recent sobriety.

"No," Abigail assured her. "I overheard Marshall trying to get Mary to talk about it. I didn't mean to eavesdrop-"

"It's okay," Brandi told her. "What are you doing here?"

"Avoiding my empty house and the thoughts it brings." She sighed again when she realized that Brandi was patiently waiting for her to expand. "I'm trying to figure out if I should leave Marshall now before he ends up resenting me or if I should continue with the wedding."

Brandi frowned. "Why do you think Marshall's going to resent you?"

"Because I made him give up his best friend." Abigail tossed back her drink. "Because she's the one that he's really in love with."

"Abigail-"

Abigail put her hand up. "If you're going to offer me empty platitudes, save it. I knew what I was getting into and if I didn't, I should have the first time I saw the two of them together."

Brandi gave her a small smile. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Yeah, actually, there is?" Abigail bit her bottom lip when Brandi tilted her head, confused. "Come home with me."

Brandi glanced down at her hand, which had moved up to Abigail's thigh. With a glint in her eye, she nodded. "Let's go."

**PROMPT #018 – MARSHALL/ABIGAIL**

"_I see you again, it cuts me up inside, and the person I share that with is me. You don't know me anymore, so don't come down here with your great new life and expect me to do things your way."_

"I got it!" Marshall's face froze as he opened the door, revealing his ex-wife. "Abigail. What are you doing here?"

"We were passing through on our way to Greg's sister's wedding and thought we'd take Cecelia out for dinner," Abigail replied, her fake smile plastered on her face.

Marshall sighed. "I really wish you had called, _like you're suppose to_."

Abigail frowned, placing her hands on her hips. "It was a last minute decision to drive through Albuquerque. I didn't think I needed an appointment to see my daughter."

"Cecelia's not here," Marshall explained. "She's with her grandmother for the weekend."

"Your mother came here?"

Marshall shook his head. "She's with Jinx and Norah."

Abigail rubbed her forehead. "Can't you just call Jinx and have her bring CeCe here?"

"She likes to be called Cecelia and no, I can't. They're out of town."

"You let your wife's mother take my daughter out of town without my permission?" Abigail hissed.

Marshall took a deep breath to calm his ire. "I let _our_ daughter's grandmother take her out of town with my permission. Do you know that it's been over a _month_ since you last called her? That it's been over six months since you last _saw_ her? You don't get a say in her day to day life."

"I-"

"No!" Marshall cut her off. "You're the one that walked out. You're the one that moved away. You're the one that decided Cecelia didn't fit into your new perfect life." He took another breath. "You're her mother and she should have a relationship with you. I think somewhere, she still does. But you can't treat her like this. You have to be consistent with your visits and phone calls. And next time you want to see her, _you have to call first_."

With that, Marshall closed the door. He turned to find Mary standing behind him with a sympathetic smile. "You heard all that, huh?"

Mary licked her lips and nodded. "You okay?"

"I just don't- I just don't understand how she can treat Cecelia like she's a toy that can be tucked away until she feels like playing with her. She's a four-year-old little girl with feelings." Marshall cast his eyes downward.

Mary pulled him into a surprise hug. "She's lucky to have you. You are the greatest dad in the world. Both our girls think so."

Marshall held her tight. "She's lucky to have you, too, you know. She wants to know if she can call you 'mom'."

Mary gasped. "I think I'd like that."

"I think I'd like that, too." Marshall straightened up, but kept his arms around Mary's waist. "I'm sorry for that. This weekend was suppose to be about just you and me, no kids."

"Tell you what? Why don't you go run us a bath and I'll see if I can't make you forget about our interruption." She nipped his ear.

"I love you, Mare," he said, kissing her nose.

Mary smiled. "I love you, too."


	7. Chapter 7

_Author's Note: Special thanks to **JJ2008**, **JMS529**, **RPenelope** (welcome! And the plan is to do one every day for a year, but I tried last year, too, for a slightly different daily prompt and ended up falling behind), and **Jayne Leigh** for the reviews!_

**QUOTE PROMPT #019 – NORAH/MARY/MARSHALL**

"_Sometimes you roll the dice on people. That's what we did, all of us, when we signed on this journey. You take what you get. There are too many ways to die out here and the one thing we can't do is kill each other. We're all we have."_

She glanced down at her arsenal and frowned when she found that her supply had dwindled. The war was endless and she sat, shivering in the trenches for any sign of the enemy. Her allies had long since given up, surrendered in the face of such conditions. Off to her left, she heard a crunching noise. Quickly grabbing her weapon, she crept out from her hiding place, only to find herself with a face full of snow.

"Mom!" Norah cried out, wiping the snow from her face. "I can't believe you did that!"

"Oh, believe it, Bug," Mary gloated. "There is only one snowball champion in this family and that's me."

Norah sighed. "That's only because Marshall isn't playing."

Mary scoffed. "You think I can't beat Marshall?"

"Nope," Norah challenged, a smirk on her face.

"Well, let me tell you something, I- ARGH!" Mary screamed as she found herself covered with snow.

Norah burst out laughing. "Good job, Marshall!"

He chuckled as he high-fived Norah. "Why, thank you, Norah. I couldn't have done it without your meticulously distraction."

"You two played this?" Mary asked, incredulous.

"Come on, Mom." Norah rolled her eyes. "You don't think I would be that easily fooled, do you?"

Mary put her hand on her hip. "You're suppose to be on my side."

Norah shrugged. "I am... unless we're having a snowball war. Then, me and Marshall are a team."

Mary smiled despite herself. As much as she wanted to be irritated that her daughter had chosen sides against her, it warmed her heart that Norah had such a close relationship with her stepfather. Mary shook her head. "Okay, you two, let's head inside before Brandi and Lyssa drink all of the hot chocolate."

"Whoa!" Marshall exclaimed when Norah whizzed by him, nearly knocking him over.

"You know there's going to be hell to pay for that, right?" Mary told him, throwing her arm around his waist.

Marshall leaned down and kissed her nose. "I'm looking forward to it."

**QUOTE PROMPT #020 - MARSHALL/ABIGAIL (FOLLOW-UP TO #013)**

"_To lose is to win, and he who wins shall lose."_

It should have been his happiest moment. He was standing at the end of the aisle, his brothers standing next to him, as his beautiful, young bride marched towards him. His mother stood in the front pew, wiping her eyes. His father was beside her, a small frown upon his face. Abigail's own face contained a wide smile, bright enough to light up the entire room.

Marshall felt no happiness, however. He felt only a pit in his stomach, a hole in his chest. It all boiled down to the one person that wasn't in attendance. Mary. His best friend. His partner. His... Marshall sighed internally. She wasn't any of those things anymore. Their friendship had fallen to the wastelands. He was her boss, not her partner, and he suspected, though she hadn't said anything, that he wouldn't be that for much longer, either.

Somewhere, it had all become too much, holding out hope that he would mean more to her, that they could be more. He had moved on... or so he thought. His first instinct was still to protect his partner, to be there for her in the middle of the night and until that stupid conversation on the balcony, her first instinct had been to call him.

But he had gotten what he wanted, hadn't he? Mary no longer called on him to get involved in her personal life. He was about to marry the woman he loved, settle down, have a family. So, why, then, was his heart clenching? Why were his eyes searching wildly for a sassy blond to come rescue him from the mistake he was about to make?

"Marshall, honey?" Abigail said, grabbing his hand as she reached the end of her destination. "Is everything okay?"

"I don't know."

**QUOTE PROMPT #021 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"Scars show us where we've been, they do not dictate where we're going"

"What are you doing?" Mary asked, eying her former partner skeptically. She was laying on her bed with her wrapped ankle elevated on a pillow, the result of a particularly rough game of tag football with her daughter and nephew.

Marshall looked up from where he sat at the end of the bed, examining her injury. "I'm healing you."

Mary felt a shudder flow through her at the husky tone in his voice. "And how are you planning on doing that?"

"Just watch." He placed a kiss on one side of her ankle and then the other before moving up her bare legs to her knee. He ran his thumb over the tiny bit of raised skin. "This is where you cut your knee chasing after the boys that threw rocks at Brandi."

Marshall peppered small kisses on the inside of her other leg. "That's the brush burn you got the academy." He raised her blue cotton shirt to reveal the wound from when she was shot by the gang banger. He slowly licked from one end of the scar to the other.

"This-" He had to clear his throat when it cracked. "This is where I nearly lost you."

"Marshall," she whispered, running her hands through his hair.

He caught one of her hands and kissed her palm. "These are the hands that saved my life out in the dusty desert." He repositioned himself so that he straddled her waist. He stretched the neck of her shirt to reveal her shoulder. He placed a kiss there. "This is where you had to have surgery after you saved Norah from being hit by car."

Marshall breathed a kiss over her lips. "These are the lips that kiss me every morning and every night, that kiss away the boo-boos on Norah and Evan."

"And this," he placed a lingering kiss between her breasts, "this is the heart that was broken and battered for years, but that never completely gave up on the possibility of something more." Marshall brushed away a stray piece of hair from her forehead. "How's the ankle?"

"Ankle? What ankle?" Mary replied.

Marshall smiled, lazily. "Then I guess my mission was successful."

She sighed, happily. "Definitely. But I'm afraid that it might hurt a more later. Do you think you'll be up to the challenge of distracting me again?"

"Always."


	8. Chapter 8

_Author's Note: Special thanks to **redbrainbluebrain**, **JMS529**, **JJ2008**, and **Jayne Leigh** (right! I so want a Marshall!) for the reviews!_

**QUOTE PROMPT #022 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"_No, it isn't after the kind of ordeal you went through, happy is wrong, this is how you're supposed to feel, your brains all jumbled up trying to sort things out, try to roll with it, let it do what it needs to do, just let it flow like a river."_

Mary walked into her house after work to find it suspiciously quiet. Usually, she was greeted by her daughter and her niece, who clamored over each other to tell Mary about their day, her sister, who always seemed to have some crisis to solve, and her husband, who simply wanted to give her a kiss hello. This evening, however, there was no one, not even the stupid dog.

"Hey, Bug," Mary said as she entered the living room. Five-year-old Norah was sitting on the couch, alone, watching cartoons. "Where is everyone?"

Norah shrugged. "Marshall's with Tori in the backyard."

Mary glanced out the back door, but didn't see either Marshall or Tori. "Why?"

"I don't know. When I came home from school, Grandma Jinx was here, crying to Marshall."

"Aunt Brandi wasn't here?"

"Uh-uh," Norah replied, her attention drawing back to the television.

Mary kissed the top of her head before going outside. There, she found Marshall sitting on one of the lounge chairs, cradling a sleeping Tori in her lap. He didn't look up until she laid her hand on his head.

"What's going on?" Mary asked, sitting on the edge of the lounge chair.

"I need you to not freak out. I just got Tori calm," Marshall warned. He waited until she nodded before continuing. "Brandi left. She dropped Tori off at Jinx's this morning and when Jinx brought her back, she found all of Brandi's clothes gone and a note."

Mary rubbed her forehead, willing herself to not start yelling. "What did the note say?"

Marshall frowned. "That she couldn't handle being a mother anymore, that Tori was better off with us than with her, that she would be in contact soon. The note is in our bedroom if you want to read it."

"So, I guessing that instead of keeping it to herself and letting us figure out what was going on that she told Tori," Mary said.

"She was upset," Marshall tried to justify. "Anyway, by the time I got home, they were both in hysterics. Guess it was a good thing that I only had a half day." He tried to chuckle, but just couldn't force it. "I finally got Jinx calm enough to go home. Tori fell asleep about a half hour ago. Thankfully, Norah's been amazing this afternoon."

Mary gently rubbed Tori's back as the little girl snuggled further into Marshall's chest. "What do we do now?"

Marshall squeezed her hand. "We let Tori know that we love her and that she's not going anywhere. We keep a close eye on her for any behavior changes. We give her – and Norah – lots of extra hugs and kisses and cuddle time. We take the rest as it comes."

"We be the river?" Mary asked, calling back to their conversation after her kidnapping.

"Exactly."

**QUOTE PROMPT #023 – MARSHALL/DELIA**

"_I guess I came over here to tell you how proud of you I am. Not because you did the best you could, but because after 20 years when things go badly you still take it this hard. I gotta tell you, that's the kind of person I want to be."_

"Hey, boss," Delia said, popping her head into his office.

Marshall looked up from his desk. "You heading out?"

Delia nodded. "I just wanted to check on you before I left. You seemed to take this one pretty hard."

"You know," Marshall sighed, "I've been doing this for a long time, longer than I thought I would. I've seen witnesses come and go, some voluntary, some not. I've seen them get kicked out for being stupid. I've seen them killed trying to get back into crime and I've seen them kill. But somehow, even know, it's the ones that were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, that get killed just because they wanted to hear their mother's voice one last time that make me question just about everything."

"You're a good man, Marshall." She smiled at him. "The way you talked to Stewie's family, even after you were exhausted from all the politics, and made them understand that he was just trying to do the right thing. They walked away believing that he was a hero."

Marshall blushed slightly. "He was a hero. Even in death, he was hero. We took down the entire Ajamian organization thanks to him. I just wish..." His voice cracked. "I just wish that there was something I could do for him."

Delia picked up the framed picture from his desk. "Do you know what Stewie wanted more than anything?" Marshall shook his head. "He wanted a family. He wanted a wife and kids to love and take care of. You know what you can do for him? Go home. Play with your kids. Make love to your wife. Lock all of the doors and windows and just be together for the weekend."

Marshall took the picture from her, running his fingers over the blond woman, holding two blond kids on her lap and the little girl with brunette curls sitting in his lap. "I think I'm going to do just that, Delia. Have a good weekend. I'll see you on Monday."

"Good night, boss. Have a good night."

**QUOTE PROMPT #024 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"_How we deal with death is at least as important as how we deal with life."_

"Are we seriously doing this?" Mary whined to Marshall, standing next to him wearing her best black dress and shoes in the hot New Mexico sun.

"Ssh," Marshall hissed back. He was wearing a dark suit himself and occasionally dabbed his forehead with a handkerchief.

Mary huffed. "I just don't understand why we're indulging her with this."

Marshall rolled his eyes, turning to face her. He shot a quick glance at Norah to make sure she wasn't listening, but she was busy patting flowers into the dirt. "We're doing this because Norah lost a friend. She wants to give him a proper burial just like she's seen on television. It's a good lesson in life and death."

"But-"

"No. We are going to stand here and pay our respects, even in this God-awful heat, until Norah decides that the funeral's over. Then, we're going to take her out for ice cream and answer any questions that she may have," Marshall explained.

Mary sighed. "I get that you want to turn this into a lesson and knowing my daughter, she'll eat it up." Mary restrained her own urge to roll her eyes as Marshall beamed at this. "But, Marshall, it's a worm."


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Note: Special thanks to **redbrainbluebrain**, **Jayne Leigh **(Mary, at least, having custody of Brandi's child factors in my next IPS story if I can ever get it written), **JMS529**, and **JJ2008** for the reviews! And to **BravoExpressions** for the reviews on Facebook!

**PROMPT #025 – MARSHALL/OC (BRANDI'S KID)**

"_Yeah, well. That's kind of a human thing. We tend to be afraid of things we don't know."_

"Here you go," Marshall said, handing Mary a glass of wine. He glanced around Brandi's engagement party. "Where's Katie?"

"I don't know," Mary replied, waving the question off. "She's around here somewhere."

Marshall sighed. "I asked you to keep an eye on her."

Mary rolled her eyes. "She's fine. She's been laughing and playing the whole night. I don't know what you're worried about."

"I'm-" he stopped when a flash of pink under a nearby table caught his eye. He kissed Mary's temple. "I think you're sister is waving for you. I'll see you in a bit."

Marshall waited until Mary was firmly ensconced in her sister's latest drama before dropping to the floor. He crawled under the table to find his niece sitting there with her elbows on her news. She looked up at him with sad eyes.

"Hey, there, Peanut. What are you doing under here?" he asked in a soothing voice.

"Hiding," Katie replied, earnestly. She scooted closer to him. Marshall was her favorite person in the entire world; the only one she would really open up to.

Marshall gently tugged on her pigtails. "Why are you hiding?"

Katie shrugged. "Mama wants me to meet Brad's brother."

"You don't want to meet Brad's brother?" Marshall questioned. Katie shook her head. "Why not? He's going to be your new uncle."

"I don't want a new uncle," she protested. "I already have an uncle."

Marshall smiled, pulling her onto his lap. He wrapped his arms around her. "I am always going to be your uncle. You could end up with a million other uncles and I'll still be yours. And you, will always be my number one niece."

Katie laid her head against his chest. "Promise?"

"Promise."

"What if... what if I don't like living with Mama and Brad?" Katie asked, timidly. "What if Brad is mean and doesn't like me?"

He kissed the top of her head. "Brad loves you. And he's a nice guy, you know that. But, if he suddenly turns into the Boogeyman," Katie giggled as Marshall ticked her, "then, you can come back and live with us. We'll keep your bed all ready for you."

Katie turned in his arms. "You will?"

"Of course! You'll be spending the night all the time." Marshall brushed the hair from her face. "After all, we still have a story to write."

"Katie and Norah the Bear," she confirmed. Katie threw her arms around his neck. "I love you, Uncle Marshall."

Marshall held her tight. "I love you, too, Peanut."

**PROMPT #026 – MARY/MARSHALL/MARK/ABIGAIL**

_"I don't go looking for trouble. Trouble usually finds me."_

"What are you doing here?" Mary hissed as she hobbled on crutches down the hospital hallway towards her now-boss and once partner, Marshall. She had sprained her ankle after slipping on some of Norah's toys while catching her nephew from falling from the back of the couch.

"Brandi called me," he explained, a smile on his face. "She thought you might need a ride."

Mary sighed. "She shouldn't have done that. I'll make sure she doesn't in the future."

Marshall's face fell. "Mary... Let me take you home. It's the least I can do for one of my inspectors."

"I wasn't injured at work. I was injured because my sister can't seem to keep an eye on her kid. It's not your responsibility," Mary told him, stiffly.

"I-"

"Hey, Mary," Mark said, walking up to the duo. "Marshall, good to see you. Are you ready to go, Mare?"

Mary nodded. "As you can see, I'm quite capable of finding my own way home. Thanks for coming, Mark."

Marshall opened his mouth to respond only to shut it abruptly when the voice of his fiancee rang out. "Hi, honey britches! I heard you were here. How are you feeling, Mary?"

"I'll be much better once I can get out of her," Mary huffed, her eyes narrowing as she watched Abigail lay claim to Marshall by looping her arm with his. She missed Marshall's frown. "Are you ready, Mark? I need to pick up a prescription on the way home."

"Let's go," Mark agreed, solemnly, saddened to see what the friendship between his ex and her best friend had become.

Mary paused as she passed Marshall and Abigail. "I'll be out of the field for the next two to three weeks. I'll bring in the doctor's note on Monday."

Marshall shook his head. "You should take the day, recover."

"I'll see you on Monday. Boss." Mary nodded to Mark and they quickly made their way down the hallway.

"Everything okay?" Abigail asked, her eyes zeroed on his face as he watched Mary walk away.

Marshall felt his heart constrict. This wasn't the way things were suppose to be, but he wasn't sure how to change them. He gave Abigail a tight smile.

"Sure."

**QUOTE #027 – MARY/MARSHALL – PREQUEL TO #018**

"_Nothing worth having comes easy."_

Marshall exited his bedroom, expecting to hear screams. He was surprised, however, to hear nothing but silence. Slightly worried, he quietly walked into the kitchen. Marshall stopped suddenly at the scene at his table: Mary was easily feeding his one-year-old daughter, Cecelia, her lunch.

"How did you get her to do that?" Marshall whispered from the doorway, afraid that his presence would somehow disturb the serene scene.

Mary shot him an exasperated look. "I fed her."

Marshall rolled his eyes. "I feed her, too. Know what she does? Screams her head off and throws half of it back me."

"I mix it," Mary explained, her voice softening. "I had to do it with Norah, too. I mix the vegetables into the pasta and they'll it eat."

"Oh," Marshall replied. He flopped down on the chair next to her, stroking Cecelia's dark curls. "I don't know if I can do this."

Mary sighed. "Give me a break."

Marshall frowned. "What-"

"Marshall, you've had a rough couple of months," she interrupted. "So has Cecelia. But you love this little girl more than anything in the world. It's not wrapped up in whether Abigail is here or not. Cecelia has owned your heart since the day the stick turned blue."

"What if I'm not what she needs?"

Mary gazed at the tot that looked so much like her mother, but with her father's blue eyes. "CeCe, where's Daddy?"

Cecelia turned towards Marshall and gave him a scrunched up smile. "Da!"

"You're all she needs," Mary said, softly. She glanced at Marshall out of the corner of her eye. "And I'm here for whatever you need."


	10. Chapter 10

_Author's Note: Special thanks to **JMS529**, **BrittanyLS**, **JJ2008**, and **Jayne** **Leigh** for the reviews! I love hearing what everyone thinks about these!_

**QUOTE PROMPT #028 - MARSHALL**

"_I can't try to save humanity without holding on to what makes me human"_

"I'm sorry," the police officer told Marshall.

Marshall stood in the middle of the chaos, feeling a bit disoriented. It wasn't the first time that he lost a witness and it wouldn't be the last, but that knowledge didn't make him feel any better. The worst of it was that there was nothing he could have done to prevent it.

Lily Barnes was just twenty-two when she entered the Witness Protection Program. A cheerful young woman that was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time and walked into the middle of a gang war. She dutifully gave her testimony and settled into a quiet life in Albuquerque, working in a children's clothing boutique.

She never caused them any concern. Lily responded to any of their queries. She had few friends, but the ones that she did were all squeaky clean. She was saving up for a little house on the edge of the city where she could have a cactus garden in the backyard. By all indications, she lived a fulfilling, though banal, life.

That ended just over two hours ago when her car hit a patch of ice traveling down Interstate 40 on her way to meeting dinner with a few girlfriends. The car spun out and off the road where it hit a tree. Lily died instantly, a blessing, Marshall supposed after he saw the condition of the car.

"You ready to head back to the office, chief?" Delia asked.

"Yeah, I guess," Marshall sighed.

Delia shot him a sympathetic smile. "Lily was a good person. Did I tell you that she asked me to teach her how to make muffins? She was thinking about starting a side business."

Marshall felt his eyes well up at all of the things Lily would no longer get to do. His chest tightened. He had just taken a shaky breath when his phone rang. "Hello?"

"Hi, Daddy! Hi, Marshall!" his daughters shouted into the phone. Norah snatched the phone and wandered away. "Are you coming home soon? Mommy won't let us stay up and wait for you."

"Your mom's right. I won't get home until very late." Marshall grinned at Norah's sigh. "But I'll tell you what, when I do get home, I'll come in and give you a kiss."

Norah huffed. "Okay. Hold on. Lorelei wants to say good night. I love you, Marshall!"

"I love you, too." Marshall stifled a chuckle as he heard the back and forth between his daughters.

"Hi, Daddy! Mommy said she's going to read us a story, but she doesn't do the voices. Can you make her do the voices?" Lorelei pleaded.

Marshall shook his head. "Your mommy doesn't do the voices, but she's the best story-reader there is. Listen, I have to go, princess, but I'll see you in the morning. I love you."

"I love you, too."

The voices of his daughter warmed his heart as he made his way back to the office to give Lily's family the news.

**QUOTE PROMPT #029 – MARY/BRANDI**

"_I guess that's what I do. I let down the people I love. Y'know, I let Dad down, and now I guess I'm just supposed to let you down, too. How can I? How am I supposed to live with that? What am I supposed to do?"_

"Why didn't you tell me?" Mary asked her sister. Mary's eyes were hard, covering up the sadness in them.

"Because I knew you would do anything and everything you could to find me a cure," Brandi replied. She held up her hand. "And I knew there wasn't one. I just wanted to spend my last few months with my son and my family. I don't want to be in a hospital trying to eke out a few more days or weeks."

Mary rubbed her mouth with her hand. "There has to be something we can do. I'll ask Marshall. He can do some research; found a specialist or-"

Brandi stopped her by grabbing her hand. "Mary. There's nothing to do. I'm okay with it. Well, I've made peace with it anyway. But you can do something for me."

"Anything," Mary whispered.

"I want you to raise Alexander for me." Brandi shook her head at Mary's sound of protest. "I need you to do more than just raise him. I need you to be his mother. I need you to not feel guilty the first time he calls you 'Mommy'. I need you to treat him just like you treat Norah. Can you do that?"

Mary nodded, tears in her eyes. "Of course, I can. I love that kid. You know that."

"I know."

"And I'll tell him all about you; how amazing and funny you are and how you always look on the bright side of things and never let life get you down," Mary promised.

Tears streamed down Brandi's face. "I know you will. I need you to do one more thing for me."

Mary wiped her own eyes. "What?"

"I need you to forgive yourself. There is nothing that you could have done; nothing that you could do; can do. Sometimes, things happen and they're nobody's fault. Mary, this isn't your fault. I need you to believe that," Brandi pleaded.

"I-"

"No!" Brandi cut her off, forcefully. "You blame yourself for Dad. You blame yourself for all the years Mom and I were a mess. You blame yourself for Mark moving away, for me not knowing who Alex's father is, for Marshall's marriage breaking up. You shouldn't. I know you do, but you shouldn't. Don't take this on, too."

Mary took a deep breath. "I'll try... for you. I'll try for you."

**QUOTE PROMPT #030 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"_If I had the choice of hanging out with anyone in the entire world or sitting at home with you eating a pizza and watching a crappy TV show. I'd choose you every time."_

"Hey."

"Hey," Marshall replied, moving off to the side to let Mary into his apartment. He waited a few moments for her to speak. "What are you doing here, Mary?"

Mary shrugged. "I heard about what happened."

Marshall huffed. "You heard that I got dumped the night before I was suppose to marry the only woman that ever loved me?"

"She's not the only woman that ever loved you," Mary shot back.

"My family doesn't count. Not in this," he said, angrily. "Why are you here?"

Mary frowned. "Because I thought you could use a friend."

Marshall folded his arms. "Oh, so you're my friend again?"

"You're the one that told me to let you go!" Mary shouted.

"That's not what I meant and you know it!"

Mary turned away from him. "It hurt too much," she admitted in a small voice. "Every time I saw the two of you together all happy and in love, it made my chest hurt."

Marshall grabbed her shoulder and spun her around. "Why?"

"Because I could have had that. With you. If I had just once taken the hand that you offered, that could have been us having a disgustingly beautiful life." Mary refused to look him in the eye, keeping her gaze centered on his chest. "I couldn't keep being your friend because that kernel of hope that someday we could happen is now a weight on my shoulders instead of the one thing that got me through the week."

"I had no idea," he whispered. "I thought it was always one-sided." He paused, his heart pounding. "Do you... still wish we could have that disgustingly beautiful life?"

Mary's breaths grew shallow and her skin paled. She suddenly felt as if her entire life hung on this one answer. She closed her eyes briefly before looking deep into his. "Yes."

Marshall gently cupped her cheek. He lay a soft kiss on her lips and pulled back to search her face. Mary smiled at him, desire in her eyes. He captured her lips again, but this time, it was all heat and lust. Marshall broke the kiss with a heaving gasp.

His lips hovered just over hers. "Good. Because I still want that, too."


	11. Chapter 11

Author's Note: Special thanks to **JMS529**, **BrittanyLS** (I thought I would do something a bit different with Brandi this time. LOL!), **JJ2008**, and **Jayne** **Leigh** for the reviews!

**QUOTE PROMPT #031 – MARY/MARSHALL**

_"Love is not only blind but stupid."_

"I can't believe you did that!" Marshall shouted, storming into the office. Both Delia and the new marshal, Stephen, shot their heads up.

Mary jumped up from desk, taking a few steps back. "Now, Marshall-"

He advanced on her. "You knew how much I loved her! How much I wanted her!"

"I-I know, but-" Mary stuttered.

"No! I'm tired of your excuses! This is it!" Marshall's eyes burned with fury. "That last cookie from Mrs. Reynolds was mine! I even put my name on it."

Mary bit her bottom lip as Marshall's shoulders hunched in disappointment. Cautiously, she stepped around the desk and laid her hand on his arm. "I'm sorry, Marshall. It was just sitting on the counter and looking all delicious with it's fluffy icing and sprinkles. I tried to refuse it, I really did, but the baby wanted it."

"The baby wa-" Marshall froze. His eyes grew wide and a slow grin spread across his face. "The baby wanted it?"

"Confirmed it this morning," she told him, unable to keep her own smile hidden. "Congratulations, Daddy."

Marshall whooped and picked her up. He spun her in a circle before kissing her hard. "For the next nine months, you can have all the cookies you want!"

**QUOTE PROMPT #032 – MARY/KENNY/MARSHALL**

"_Here's to the best friend I've ever had, could ever hope to have, a girl for whom no man will ever be good enough, I hope you know that... I love you and I wish for you nothing but a lifetime of happiness."_

"- happiness."

"You son of a bitch!" Mary seethed, stepping out from the shadow of the bar.

Kenny's eyes widened as he took in her face. "Mary! What are you doing here? I can explain."

She stalked towards him. "Explain? Explain that you used the speech that my best friend gave me to show how much he loved me, how much he would always be there for me, to get into this hussy's pants?"

"Hey!" the brunette that Kenny had been talking to shouted.

Mary held her hand up to the brunette's face, essentially blocking her. "I should have known better. I should have known that you were nothing but scum. I can't believe I trusted a few kind words from you! I can't believe that I let you around my daughter! What is wrong with me?"

Kenny shrugged. "I guess now would be a good time to bring up that we're over."

"Oh, we are so over." Mary reared back and slapped his cheek. She turned towards the brunette. "Save yourself the aggravation and pick up someone else."

With that Mary, stormed out of the bar. She drove to Marshall's house before she realized that she had done so. Mary laid her head on the steering wheel, tears streaming down her face. She couldn't bring herself to knock on the door, not knowing if Marshall's fiance was inside.

"Mary," Marshall called out, rapping on the window after about ten minutes. He waited until she rolled down the window. "What are you doing here?"

"I-" Mary's voice cracked as emotions threatened to overwhelm her. "I came to apologize. I have been a lousy friend for a long time. Not that I was ever a really great one, but I really pulled away from you after you gave that speech at my engagement party."

Marshall frowned in confusion. "Where is this coming from?"

She shook her head. "It's a long story."

"Come inside," he ordered, gently, reaching into the car to grab her keys. "I have whiskey. We can talk."

"I don't want to disturb your evening with Abigail."

Marshall smiled, sadly. "Abigail moved out last month. You don't have to worry about her."

Mary's face fell even further. "I'm sorry. Really. Why?"

"Because," Marshall took a deep breath, "at the end of the day, she simply wasn't you."

**QUOTE PROMPT #033 – MARY/MARSHALL/NORAH**

_"Fear of a name increases fear of a thing itself."_

"What about Pete?"

"No," Mary grumbled, stabbing her eggs.

Marshall shrugged. "Myka? Artie?"

She glared at him. "Where are you getting these names?"

"Um," Marshall stalled. "Well, then what about Wesley or Geordi? Maybe Beverley?"

"We are not naming it, Marshall!" Mary ordered. "If we name it, we're going to want to keep it! And we can't. We... just can't."

Marshall's face fell. He opened his mouth to argue when his step-daughter entered the kitchen. She skipped over to her mother.

"Mommy! Say hello to Jean-Luc!" Norah sang, swinging the frog in her hands at Mary.

"Oh, joy. You name it," Mary told her, sarcastically. "And you named it after a Star Trek character." Mary rolled her eyes at Marshall. "This is all your fault. If you had just taken her to the movies like I told you to instead of the nature walk that you ended up on, I wouldn't have ended up with a frog!"

Marshall grinned. "It could have been worse, Mare. She was looking for a skunk."


	12. Chapter 12

_Author's Note: Special thanks to **JMS529**, **BrittanyLS**, **Jayne Leigh**, and **JJ2008** for the reviews! I am so glad that you are enjoying these enough to review!_

**QUOTE PROMPT #034 – JINX/MARY**

"_Alright fine, you want to know why? You're just like me. You're scared because you feel like you haven't accomplished anything with your life. But instead of running a triathlon you're pushing forward with a guy you don't belong with, and you know as well as I do that one of these days he's going to open up a bottle of white wine for you when you really prefer red except you never told him that and you wanna know why? Because he's not right for you."_

"Mary, sweetheart, we need to talk," Jinx said, sitting down next to her daughter on the couch.

"How much do you need this time?" Mary sighed.

Jinx chuckled as she rolled her eyes. None of Mary's quips stuck to her. "I don't need anything. Well, that's not quite true. I do need one thing."

Mary folded her arms. "Well?"

"I need you to be happy."

"I am happy," Mary replied automatically.

Jinx shook her head. "No, you're not. You're settling."

Mary flinched. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You think I don't know about settling? I settled my entire life," Jinx told her. She grabbed Mary's hands and held them in her own. "Mary, why are you with Kenny? Why are settling for the guy that goes through all the motions of being a good guy instead of grabbing the one that actually is a good guy?"

"I don't..." Mary's voice trailed off when she see that she wasn't fooling Jinx a bit. "He's married."

Jinx squeezed Mary's hand. "Not yet."

"In a week."

"There's still time."

"He loves her."

"Not like he loves you." Jinx cupped her cheek. "Sweetie, go to him. You deserve it. He deserves it. Neither of you should settle."

Mary paused before giving her mother a single nod. Mary kissed Jinx's cheek before heading out. She paused briefly at the door. "Thanks, Mom."

**QUOTE PROMPT #035 – MARSHALL/ABIGAIL**

"_So... I lied. I cheated. I bribed men to cover the crimes of other men. I am an accessory to murder. But the most damning thing of all... I think I can live with it. And if I had to do it all over again - I would."_

"Daddy, can we go home?" six-year-old Alyssa Mann begged, hurrying towards him.

"Don't you want to say good-bye to your mom?" Marshall asked, glancing at Abigail, whose expression hung somewhere between guilt, anger, and satisfaction. She stood out of earshot of them.

Alyssa shook her head, hugging her dad's waist tightly. "I just wanna go home and see Mary and Norah. I don't wanna visit with Mommy anymore. She tells lies."

Marshall stiffened. "What did Mommy tell you?"

"Mommy said that you never loved her, that you only married her because Mary didn't love you. She said that you and Mommy aren't married anymore because Mary decided that she wanted to be your wife instead of Mommy and that Mary didn't care if you were already married or not. She said that you and Mary had an affair." Alyssa sniffled. "I don't know what that is, but I don't think it's good. She said Mary is a bad person and that she doesn't love me. Mommy said that it's Mary's fault that she doesn't live here anymore. Is it true?"

"Alyssa, I want you to go wait in the car." Marshall held a finger up when she protested. "Go. I need to talk to your mother." Marshall waited until Alyssa was in the car before marching over to Abigail. "What the hell did you say to her?"

Abigail smirked. "I told her the truth about why we're not together anymore. I told her about the affair that you and Mary had behind my back."

Marshall's nostrils flared in anger. He clenched his fist to keep from striking. "Mary and I may have gotten together before our marriage was officially offer, but let's not forget who had the affair first."

"Oh, please!" Abigail shouted. "You may not have slept with Mary, but you were always more involved with her than you were with me! I never had a chance! We never had a chance!"

"We have been divorced for over four years!" Marshall shot back. "How can you be so callous as to use our daughter to get back at me? Grow up, Abigail! We both made mistakes. How can you take them out on that little girl? All she does is love you."

She flinched and glanced away. "Do you know what she talks about when she's with me? How much she misses Mary, what her and Mary have done lately, how much she loves Mary. Do you know what that's like for me to listen to? I gave birth to her. I breastfed her. I got up in the middle of the night with her. And yet, it's Mary that she wants."

"You're also the one that walked away." Marshall sighed when she began to tear up. "She was really looking forward to this visit, to you, and you've destroyed that. We're going to have to have a long talk before you take her again."

"Marshall-"

"Good-bye, Abigail. I have to go console our daughter."

**QUOTE PROMPT #036 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"_But in the end it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come, and when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you, that meant something, even if you were too small to understand why."_

"... and they lived happily ever after," Marshall whispered, closing the book in his hands. He kissed the top of a sleeping Norah's head before glancing up to see Mary standing in the doorway. "How'd it go?"

"She's gone," Mary replied with a shrugged in an attempt to cover up her real feelings. "She packed everything up; covered her tracks. No one's heard from her or has any idea where she would have gone."

"Mary-"

She folded her arms. "Jinx is going to keep Janie overnight, but she can't keep her full time. I've already talked to Joanna and she's agreed to watch her along with Norah. I'll move her stuff here tomorrow."

Marshall stood, placing Norah into her crib. "I can help-"

"No," Mary told him, emphatically. "I've already asked you to do more than I should have. Mark will be back in town tomorrow. He'll help. I am going to need a few days off, though. Chief."

"Mary, let me help. Please. I'm still your friend."

Mary turned from him. "Sure."

Marshall took a shaky breath. Throwing all caution out the window, he swiftly stepped over to her, wrapping his arms around her from behind. He tightened his grip when he felt her stiffen.

"What-"

"I am still your friend," he whispered in her ear, making her shiver. "I never meant to imply otherwise. Whatever you need, I'm here for you and for Norah and Janie."

Mary slumped into him. "Everything's a mess. Brandi's gone. Mark's moving away. Kenny cheated on me. You're getting married. I'm going to be raising two little girls on my own. And the worst part? I just want to fall into your arms and let you make everything okay. But I can't. Because I screwed everything up."

It was Marshall's turn to stiffen. "Screwed everything up how?"

"I love you, Marshall," she admitted, a tear falling down her cheek as all of her walls came tumbling down. "I think I have since almost the beginning."

Marshall took a step back and spun her around. He grabbed her face before lowering his lips to hers. He wasted no time in claiming every inch of her mouth. He backed her against the wall, covering her body with his own.

Mary broke the kiss when she felt Marshall's hand on her breast. "Wait. We can't do this. You're engaged."

"Not anymore," he confessed.

"What? When?"

Marshall cringed. "This morning."

Mary sighed. "After I called?"

"Yes, but it's not your fault!" he told her, quickly. "The thing is Mary, it's always been you. I have been in love with you since the first time you opened your mouth. I was an idiot to ever think I could move on. You are the only that I want."

"Okay," she said after a few moments.

"Okay?"

Mary nodded. "I'm ready for my happy ending."


	13. Chapter 13

_Author's Note: Special thanks to **JMS529**, **JJ2008**, and **BrittanyLS** for the reviews! Hopefully, you don't kill me for leaving the last two drabbles where they left off. :D_

**QUOTE PROMPT #037 – MARY/NORAH/MARSHALL**

"_May have been the losing side, still not convinced it was the wrong one."_

"I think Daddy's mad at me," Norah told her mother as Mary helped her wash her hands in the bathroom.

"Why do you think that, Bug?" Mary asked, running over the activities of the day trying to pick out where Norah would have gotten that idea.

Norah sighed dramatically. "Because I chose to be on Marshall's team for flag football instead of Daddy's."

Mary tugged on her pigtails, trying to lighten the mood. "And you ended up losing. That'll teach you."

"Mo-om," Norah whined.

"Your dad isn't mad at you," Mary assured her. "He knows how much you love Marshall, but if you're still feeling a bad, why don't you go ask him to do the balloon toss?"

Norah jumped up and down. "I'll go right now!"

Mary followed as Norah skipped out the door. She watched her ask her dad to partner. Mary jumped when her husband wrapped his arms around her from behind, laying his chin on her shoulder.

"Everything okay?" Marshall asked.

"I think so. We just had to navigate another Dad vs. Step-dad situation," she explained. She added quickly when she felt him stiffen, "Norah's very lucky to have two dads in her life that absolutely adore her."

Marshall kissed her cheek. "Nice save."

Mary grinned. "I thought so. Seriously, though, Marshall, she's fine. Come on. Let's go cheer them on."

**QUOTE PROMPT #038 - MARY**

"_This whole situation. It's all helped me see things more clearly. He's gone, so many of my friends are gone. There's no reason to stay. Not for me, not for them. I suppose I've known that for a long time now, but it's just hard to move on, isn't it? It's hard to close that chapter." _

Mary sat at her desk with her transfer request papers laid in front of her. It was a good job, one that would have her home every night by dinner, something that was important now that she was the sole caregiver to both Norah and Brandi's daughter, Ava. Plus, the job, set in DC, would be closer to Mark, who had taken a position in Philadelphia.

Still, Mary hesitated. Albuquerque was were she truly gained her independence, where she finally broke free from her family, even if they later followed her. Albuquerque was where she bought her first home, where she found a fulfilling job. Albuquerque was where she found her best friend.

Even if he wasn't her best friend in the quite the same way anymore.

Of course, it was also where she was kidnapped, where her sister was arrested, where her mother was arrested. It was where she was shot, where she broke Raph's heart. It was where her father died, where she stupidly hooked up with her ex-husband in a moment of weakness.

Well, that last one brought her Norah so it wasn't all bad.

If she moved, there was a chance that Brandi wouldn't be able to find them if she decided to come back. She would be uprooting two little girls that seemed perfectly happy. If she didn't move, there was a chance that Ava would come to spend all of her time waiting for her mother to come back. Norah wouldn't be able to spend as much time with her father. Mary would have to watch her best friend and his girlfriend/fiance/wife/whatever settle into a content, little life.

Stay or go. Go or stay. The options and reasonings swirled in her head, slowly giving her a migraine. She felt paralyzed to go, but uneasy to stay. Mary glanced at the clock. She should have been home nearly an hour ago, but Jinx had the girls today and would understand. Mary picked up the paper. Stay or go. She just couldn't make up her mind.

**QUOTE PROMPT #039 – MARSHALL/MARSHALL'S MOTHER**

_"It is possible to commit no errors and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life."_

"Marshall! There you are!" Betty Mann said, walking outside of the restaurant. Her son was leaning against the railing of the patio. "I've been looking for you."

"Sorry, Mom," he replied, slowly turning around to face her. "I just needed to get some air. There's a lot of people in there."

Betty nodded, sympathetically. She stood next to him, following his gaze into the restaurant. "It's all rather overwhelming for a rehearsal dinner."

Marshall let a ghost of a smile grace his lips. "Abigail likes to go all out."

"Seems to me that she's making a show of things," Betty commented. She rubbed Marshall's arm. "How are you doing with all of this?"

"I'm looking forward to it all being over tomorrow." At Betty's frown, he quickly added, "I'm looking forward to being Abigail's husband."

Betty sighed. "Marshall, we've always had an open and honest relationship, right?" He nodded, cautiously. "You're not happy. It's the day before your wedding and you seem to be just miserable. Are you sure that marrying Abigail is what you want to do?"

Marshall clenched his jaw. "I love her. I'm marrying her tomorrow." He glanced away when Betty continued to stare at him. "I did the right thing. I was a good friend. I moved on. I found an amazing girl, who I do love. We're getting married. We have a dog together. We're making plans for the future."

"So, why does it seem that you're doing the wrong thing?" Betty supplied.

"Yeah," he whispered.

Betty hugged. "I love you. You are my son and there is nothing you can do to stop me from loving you." She stepped back. "Abigail deserves better than just being settled for. You deserve better than just settling." Betty patted his cheek, looking over his shoulder. "It's not too late."

She slipped back into the restaurant as Marshall turned around. He gasped as he saw a blond woman looking nervously at him. Marshall smiled. "Mary."


	14. Chapter 14

_Author's Note: Special thanks to **JMS529**, **BrittanyLS**, and **Jayne Leigh** for the reviews!_

**QUOTE PROMPT #040 – MARY/MARSHALL (FOLLOW-UP TO #039)**

_"Everyone makes mistakes. That's why they put erasers on pencils."_

Marshall looked back at the restaurant before stepping forward. He grabbed Mary's hand to pull her down the street, out of view. "What are you doing here?"

Mary's entire body trembled. "I- I don't know. I shouldn't be here, I know. It isn't fair... to you... to Abigail."

"What isn't fair?" he asked. He bit back a sigh when she remained quiet, her eyes glued to the floor. "You were invited here. Of course, you should be here."

"Not after I tell you this." Her slowly rose to his as her breathing grew shallow. "I love you. I know I don't deserve you. I know I've pushed you away for years, forced us to remain strictly friends. But I love you. I'm in love with you. Before you walk down the aisle tomorrow, I need to know if that makes any difference."

Marshall froze, a million thoughts running through his head. He was angry at Mary; angry at himself. He felt guilty for feeling elated that Mary finally admitted she loved him. He was torn over his next move. Marshall glanced back at the restaurant to see his mother standing at the window watching them. She gave him a small encouraging smile.

He turned his attention back to Mary. "It makes a difference."

Marshall grabbed her face, lowering his lips to hers. From the moment they touched, electricity shot through them both. Hands quickly roamed over bodies as the kiss deepened. Struggling for air, Marshall broke the kiss, leaning his forehead against hers.

"I have to go take care of this," Marshall told her. "It's not going to be pretty."

"Do you want to change your mind?" she asked, timidly.

Marshall shook his head. "Not about you, not ever. I just... I don't want to hurt anyone, but going forward with the wedding would be a big mistake. I love you, Mary. Nothing will ever change that."

Mary ran her hands up his chest. "Go. Take care of this. Come find me when you're done. Whether it's tonight or in a week, I'll be waiting."

"I love you, Mary."

"I love you."

**QUOTE PROMPT #041 – MARY/MARK**

"_I have to do what makes you happy. Not what makes me happy."_

"Hello?"

"Hey, Mary. It's Mark," Mark said, calmly.

Mary glanced at the clock to see that it was nearly 1am. She must have fallen asleep on the couch. "Is everything okay with Norah."

Mark hesitated just long enough to start to worry Mary. He cringed when he heard her gasp. "She's fine. She's just had a bad dream."

"Okay?" Mary wasn't sure if it was the sleep or Mark that was making this conversation drag, but she was quickly becoming irritated.

"I can't get her to go back to sleep. I've tried everything, but-"

She sighed. "But she wants Marshall."

Mark took a deep breath. "Yeah. So, do you think you can get him to call me?"

"You know, she'll probably calm down on her own if you give her a little bit of time. Sometimes, singing her a song or reading her a book or letting her sleep with you helps," Mary offered.

"Mary," he took another deep breath, "I appreciate what you're trying to do, but right now, at one in the morning, my daughter wants her stepfather and not me. Nothing else matters. Now, can you please have him call me? I know he's working, but-"

Mary cut him off. "I'll have him call right away." She paused. "I don't say it enough, but you're a good father, Mark."

Mark chuckled, lightly. "Thanks for trying to make me feel better about this."

"If it helps any, Norah insisted that I do her hair in the pigtails the same way that Monica did for two weeks after she spent the weekend away with you," Mary offered.

"Not really, but I appreciate the attempt." Mark frowned when he heard Mary make an unhappy noise. "Mary, I knew the moment that you and Marshall got together that I would be regulated to weekend parent eventually. It's where we are."

Mary rubbed her eyes. "That's not true. Norah adores you. She's just going through a phase right now. Next month, she'll be back to you."

He shrugged, even though she couldn't see him. "Sure. Now, about that call..."

"I'll get right on it. See you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow."

**QUOTE PROMPT #042 – MARY/MARSHALL/DELIA**

"_I have noted, the 'healthy' release of emotion is frequently very unhealthy for those closest to you."_

"What's going on?" Mary asked Delia, walking into the Witsec Office. It was early on a Friday morning. Mary tossed her bag on her desk, eying Marshall's office. She could see him in there pacing, the phone to his ear. His face was red from screaming.

"I'm not sure exactly," Delia replied in her typically perky way, "but I think someone from the Denver FBI office screwed up the Tanner case and it nearly cost Danny his life. The FBI tried to blame it on Marshall's plan. He's been on the phone since before I got here."

Mary took a deep breath. "Maybe we should head out of here now and check on witnesses before-"

She stopped suddenly when Marshall slammed down the phone loud enough for the entire office to stop. Mary and Delia looked at each other, eyes wide. They both reached for their bags simultaneously and headed for the door.

"Not so fast!" Marshall roared, stepping out of his office. He flicked his finger. "Delia, you still haven't finished the paperwork that I told you to do last night. You're not going anywhere until it's on my desk, ready for sign-off!"

"Yes, boss!" she said, quickly, rushing back to her desk.

Mary cringed when she thought he was heading towards her next, but Marshall turned his attention to the man standing on the opposite side of the office. "Alan! That budget report was due a week ago! Stop stalling! I want that on my desk by the end of day!"

Alan nodded, wordlessly, before scurrying off. His action seemed to spur the rest of the office into action as they, too, ran off. Mary made a subtle move to the door, catching Marshall's eye.

"And you!" Marshall rounded on her. "I break up with my fiancée and you say nothing? Oh, that's not true! You gave me a perfunctory 'I'm sorry' and moved on! You're suppose to be my best friend. We've known each other for _ten_ years! And you have nothing to say? _I broke up with her for you!_"

"Me?" Mary said, dumbfounded.

Marshall's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "Yes, you! I love you! I have always loved you! I can't imagine that I will ever not love you! What do you have to say about that?"

"I love you, too," she replied, quietly. She gasped as Marshall pushed her up against the door and proceeded to kiss her until they were both breathless. Mary buried her face in his chest.

Marshall wrapped his arms around her. He glanced over his shoulder to Delia. "We're going to take the rest of the day. You can finish the paperwork on Monday, Delia. Take Ted with you on your visits and call me with anything urgent."

With the instructions, he led Mary out of the office. All was quiet for about two minutes after the elevator doors closed. Slowly, heads popped back in.

"Congrats, Alan!" Delia smirked. "You won the betting pool!"


	15. Chapter 15

Author's Note: Special thanks to **JMS529**, **JJ2008**, **BrittanyLS**, **ladypuercoloco** (thanks for giving the drabbles a chance!), and **Jayne** **Leigh** for the reviews!

**QUOTE PROMPT #043 - JINX**

_"All you can do is play along at life, and hope that sometimes you get it right."_

"Mary?" Jinx called out in her sing-song voice. "Sweet Pea, are you here? You were suppose to pick up Norah an hour ago. And your car is here so I'm pretty sure you are, too."

Jinx settled Norah into the playpen before venturing through the house. She paused in the kitchen. There was a pizza box on the stove, a collection of beer bottles on the counter, and a bottle of tequila with two shot glasses on the table. Sighing, Jinx wondered just what trouble Mary had gotten herself into.

She had been surprised when Mary called her the previous afternoon and nearly begged Jinx to take Norah for the night. Even though Norah was just over a year and Jinx had spent countless hours baby-sitting, Mary rarely let her watch the baby overnight. Brandi, bless her, didn't have that problem at all as Jinx had Aidan several times a week overnight.

Shaking her head, Jinx brought her thoughts back to last night. She wasn't sure what Mary had to do that had her pleading with Jinx to take Norah as Mary refused to fess up. But, now, looking at the evidence, Jinx was pretty sure Mary had someone rather than something to do.

She snickered at her own joke.

Nearing Mary's bedroom, she noticed that the pictures on the wall were slightly skewed. Jinx glanced down on the floor to a sock, a boot, and what looked like the tattered remains of a shirt. Certainly seems that she had fun, Jinx thought to herself. She peeked into Mary's bedroom and gasped.

Curled up together in the center of the bed were Mary and Marshall. Mary's face was pressed deeply into his chest and Marshall's arms were wrapped protectively around her. Their bodies were covered with a sheet, but Jinx could tell they were both completely nude. Smiling, she turned around and back into the living room.

"Well, Norah, darling," Jinx cooed, picking her granddaughter up and rushing out the door. "I think we're just going to have to wait for your mommy to call in a little while. She just might even have an announcement for us!"

**QUOTE PROMPT #044 – MARSHALL/OC DAUGHTER**

"_Exactly 45 days from now you and I are gonna meet. And we're gonna fall in love. And we're gonna get married and we're gonna have two kids, and we're gonna love them and each other so much. All that is 45 days away. But I'm here now, I guess because I want those extra 45 days with you, I want each one of them. But if I can't have them I'll take the 45 seconds before your boyfriend shows up and punches me in the face. Because I love you, I'm always gonna love you, til the end of my days and beyond. You'll see."_

"Daddy?"

Marshall glanced down at his youngest daughter as she grabbed onto his leg, her blue eyes staring adoringly at his. "Yes, precious?"

Sarah smiled at her nickname. "What are we having a party?"

"Well," Marshall began, leaning over to pick him up, "we're celebrating that your mama and I have been married for five years now."

"Grandma Jinx says it's a miracle that you got married at all," Sarah informed him.

Marshall bobbed his head, agreeing with his mother-in-law for a change. "I suppose it was. I had to wait a long time for your mama to say yes."

Sarah hugged his neck. "Are you mad at Mama for making you wait so long?"

"You know, for a long time I was, but…" Marshall trailed off as he looked around the backyard. He saw Norah, Mary's daughter with Mark, and Brandi's daughter, Ava, teaming up to tease Jack, his son with Abigail. He watched as Mary swooped in to distract Jack by challenging him to a game of basketball before he had a change to get upset by the girls. Norah and Ava quickly joined in with Norah taking up Jack's team and Ava siding with Mary. Marshall smiled as Jinx cheered for all three kids equally and Brandi attempted a cheerleading routine from her younger days.

"Daddy?"

Marshall kissed Sarah's forehead. "If things could turn out exactly how they are now, then I would want them to. But if your mama had said yes to me sooner, we wouldn't have Norah and Jack and life just wouldn't be complete without them."

**QUOTE PROMPT #045 – MARSHALL/BRANDI**

"_The truth is: you should consider yourself lucky if you even occasionally get to make someone, anyone, feel a little better. After that it's all about the people that you let into your life"_

"Brandi!" Marshall yelled, shaking her shoulder as she laid in her bed with her headphones in. He had stopped by Brandi's apartment at Mary's request, though he knew he was Mary's last choice. Jinx, however, was away at a dance competition, Mark and Joanna had taken Norah back East for a family reunion, and Mary and Delia had been pulled out for an overnight transfer. That left only Marshall to check on the new mother.

He hadn't been to Brandi's new place as his relationship with Mary was strained of late. She hadn't even asked him to help move Brandi. He would be lying if he said that hadn't hurt. So, when Mary asked him to check on Brandi, he had jumped at the chance.

Marshall hadn't expected to be standing outside of Brandi's apartment, pounding on the door. He could hear the baby screaming and the television blaring, but Brandi didn't answer the door. Checking the door, he found it unlocked. He shut off the television and grabbed the baby before making his way to Brandi's room, where he found her curled in a ball with the headphones in her hears to drown out sound.

"Marshall?" Brandi blinked up at him, a vacant look in her eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"Mary asked me to stop by and check on you," he explained as he bounced the baby to calm him down. He glanced around the room, taking in the piles of dirty clothes, dishes, and tissues. "She had to leave town for the night."

Brandi sat up, shaking her head. "You're early. Mary doesn't usually stop by until dinner."

Marshall say carefully on the edge of the bed. He took a deep breath. "Brandi, is everything okay with you?"

"Everything's fine. Why?" Her eyes filled up with tears as Marshall continued to stare at her. Brandi covered her mouth to stop the sob from coming out. "I can't do this. He cries all the time. He's only ever happy when someone else is holding him. I am a failure as a mother. All I want for him to do is shut up!"

"Brandi-"

"No!" She interrupted, jumping out of bed. "You're going to tell me that I just need time; that it's all in my head; that he's a baby and he doesn't dislike me. I'm telling you that I'm done! I don't want him anymore!" She moved close to Marshall again. "You take him. He seems to like you. You and Abigail can raise him."

Marshall grabbed her hand. "Brandi, everything is going to be okay."

She collapsed on the bed, crying until she fell asleep. Marshall tucked her in, careful not to wake her. Marshall changed, fed, and put the baby to bed before setting about cleaning the apartment. He wasn't sure how he was going to do it, but he vowed to both Brandi and the baby that he would pull them through this.


	16. Chapter 16

_Author's Note: Special thanks to **ladypuercoloco**, **JJ2008**, **JMS529**, and **Jayne Leigh** for the reviews! That last one on the previous chapter just may turn into a longer fic. Sorry for the delay, but I got behind and then stumped on drabbles._

**QUOTE PROMPT #046 – MARY/MARSHALL**

_"When I say, "I love you," it's not because I want you or because I can't have you. It has nothing to do with me. I love what you are, what you do, how you try. I've seen your kindness and your strength. I've seen the best and the worst of you. And I understand with perfect clarity exactly what you are."_

"Mary?" Marshall asked, groggily. He opened his eyes to see Mary hastily grabbing clothes from the floor. "Where are you going?"

"I have to get out of here," she replied, refusing to look at him. "Mark will be dropping Norah off soon and I have to be there."

Marshall say up in the bed, shaking his head to clear the cobwebs of sleep. "Mark's keeping Norah all weekend. You said so last night." He grabbed her arm and forced her to sit down. "Want to tell me what's really going on?"

Mary gently extricated her arm from him. "I'm sorry... about last night. I shouldn't have called you last night. I shouldn't have," she waved her hands between the two of them, "made this happen."

He frowned. "You didn't make this happen alone and I'm glad you called me."

"I messed everything up," she whispered, turning her head away from, "again."

"Mary." Marshall cupped her cheek to turn her face back t his. He used his other hand to grab one of hers. "What do you think you messed up?"

"You... and me... and us."

He laid a gentle kiss on her lips. "No. You haven't mess anything up."

Mary huffed. "You're engaged; I'm not suppose to be calling you for anything. How can you say that I haven't messed anything up? _Marshall, we slept together!_"

"Yeah, and it was the best night of my life," Marshall chuckled. He pulled her hands to his lips. "I'm not engaged anymore and you are suppose to call me anytime that you need me."

"You're not engaged?" she asked. Marshall shook his head. "And I didn't screw everything up?"

"I love you," he told her. "I have always loved you and will always love you."

Embarrassed, tears welled up in Mary's eyes. "I thought I lost my chance."

Marshall wiped her tears away. "Never."

**QUOTE PROMPT #047 - ABIGAIL**

"_A mother's love is an unrivaled force of nature, and we can all learn much from the way she lived her life. Her death causes each of us to stop and take stock of our lives, to measure who we are, and what we've become"_

She should have known when he got the phone call. They were sitting on the couch after dinner watching some documentary or another when the home phone rang. Indicating that it was from his parents' home, Marshall took the call in another room. Abigail could hear the formal tone in Marshall's voice, though she didn't hear the exact words.

When he re-entered the living room, his face was pale and his jaw was set. He told her the news in a solemn, straight-forward voice: his mother had had an aneurysm; there was nothing to be done; she was gone. Abigail felt tears in her own eyes, but saw none reflected in those of her husband.

He went through the motions of packing them and getting them back home to his parents' house. He helped plan the funeral, accepted food and inquiries from the neighbors, entertained his nieces and nephews, and kept watch on his dad. He didn't blink once. He didn't ask for her help on anything either, leaving Abigail to flit about aimlessly in the background.

By the time the funeral rolled around and he still hadn't cried, Abigail was nearly beside herself with worry. Marshall was not one to hold his emotions in. Lost in their own grief, however, the rest of Marshall's family appeared unconcerned. As the one closest to his mother, Marshall was given the duty of giving the eulogy for the family. He sailed through the first part, then stumbled.

And then stopped.

Abigail frowned as Marshall searched the crowd. She realized the moment he found who he was looking for by the profound relief that appeared on his face. He wasn't seeking her, his wife. No, there was only one person that every brought that light to his eyes, his former partner and best friend, Mary.

Marshall left the podium, rushing to the blond marshal. He pulled Mary into his arms and began to sob on her shoulder. Abigail shifted uncomfortably in her seat as a few curious glances were tossed her way. After a few minutes, Marshall straightened up and returned to the front, finishing his eulogy with Mary by his side.

Abigail slipped out of the wake without anyone's notice. She packed her bags and headed back to Albuquerque right away. She had her things packed and moved out before he returned home. The divorce was done quietly without contest. As much as it hurt at the time, Abigail had to admit a year later as she introduced her fiance to Mary and Marshall's new daughter, that everything worked out for the best.

**QUOTE PROMPT #048 - MARY**

_"A dream is an answer to a question we haven't learned how to ask."_

They came almost every night; dreams of a small boy with dark hair and blue eyes. At first, Mary thought they were a result of her father's death. The timing was right. But as her father's passing became more of a distant memory and the dreams never faded, she was forced to consider that the dreams were a manifestation of something else.

She brought the dreams up to her partner, Delia. Delia, while not as knowledgeable as her former partner, was eager to help. Delia told her to focus on what the boy was doing and the feelings that it provoked in Mary. Mary scoffed at this suggestion, though it remained in the back of her mind. But in the dreams, the boy did nothing but stare at her and she felt love, confusion, hope, and lose. Too many emotions to be of any sort.

It wasn't until the second engagement party for Marshall and Abigail that she realized what the dreams meant. Abigail's mother had blown up several pictures of the two to use as decorations. There, smack in the middle of Abigail on a tricycle and at her first cheerleading competition, was the five-year-old boy she had been dreaming of for all these months. Mary's gasp was loud enough to draw the attention of several nearby party-goers.

Marshall. She had been dreaming of Marshall. More importantly, she had been dreaming of her and Marshall's son. The truth came rushing at her like a freight train. She must have looked sick as Marshall hurried her into the master bathroom. Pressing a cold washcloth to the back of her neck, he asked her what was wrong.

Mary took a deep breath. "Do you believe that dreams can tell us something that we didn't realize ourselves?"

"I do," he agreed, confused as to how it related to her current predicament.

"I have to tell you about the dreams I've been having lately..."

"And that's why my middle name is Morpheus?" Five-year-old, Nicholas Morpheus Mann asked, grinning wide enough to show off his missing front teeth.

Mary sighed, brushing her son's dark hair from his forehead. She gazed into his blue eyes, the spitting image of his father's. "That and your daddy's warped sense of humor."


	17. Chapter 17

_Author's Note: Special thanks to **JMS529** for the review! Guessing the last few prompts weren't too popularly. LOL!_

**QUOTE PROMPT #049 – MARSHALL/OC NIECE**

_"It's too big a world to be in competition with everyone. The only person who I have to be better than is myself."_

"Hey, Princess," Marshall said, sitting down on the porch next to his seven-year-old niece, Katy. He pulled gently on one of her pigtails.

Katy gave him half a smile. "Hi, Uncle Marshall."

Marshall frowned, following her gaze to the yard where Norah was playing soccer with a few of the neighborhood kids. "How come you aren't playing with Norah and the other kids?"

Katy sighed and shrugged. "I can't play like soccer like Norah can. I'm not as good."

"Says who?"

"Uncle Marshall," she replied, dramatically, "I can't kick the ball past Norah. Everyone knows that Norah is the best soccer player ever!"

Marshall covered a smile. His step-daughter was, in fact, known for her soccer playing, much to the chagrin of her mother, who had to drive her to practices and games. "What about Michael? Can you get the ball past Michael?"

Katy rolled her eyes. "Yeah. I'm way better than Michael."

"What about Olivia and Jayden?"

"Yep," she replied, boastfully.

Marshall grinned at her. "Could you do it last year?" Katy shook her head. "But you can do it now?"

She nodded. "I practiced lots and lots."

"Well, there, you go. You just have to keep practicing and maybe one day, you'll be better than Norah, but even if you're not, you will always be better than you were before," Marshall told her. He gave her a hug. "Now, go play."

"Thanks!" Katy shouted as she ran off.

"You're pretty good at that advice thing," Mary told him, walking up behind him.

Marshall looked up at her, suspicious of the compliment. "Thanks."

Mary smirked. "You know, you could change a pretty mean diaper yesterday, but I bet if you keep practicing, you'll become the best diaper changer in the world."

"You could just ask me to change Thomas' diaper," Marshall grumbled as he passed her.

"Where's the fun in that?"

**QUOTE PROMPT #050 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"_Ooh, good thing I have you to protect me"_

"I could have taken him."

"Let it go, Marshall," Mary sighed as she followed him into the WitSec office.

Marshall frowned. "I'm just saying. If you had given me a little bit of time, I could have gotten out of it."

Mary rolled her eyes as she tossed her bag on her chair. "He had you pinned. You didn't have anywhere to go. Would you rather I hadn't come to your aid? What kind of partner would I be?"

"The kind of partner that wouldn't leave me looking like an idiot," Marshall muttered, sitting in his chair.

"I think I liked you better when you were my boss," Mary retorted.

Marshall rose, slowly, a gleam in his eyes. He stalked over to her, caging her in her chair. He leaned down close to her face. "You know, that could be arranged."

"Huh?"

"I'm just saying that if you want to go back to be boss and employee, that can be arranged. Of course," he blew gently across her ear, "it would come with some drawbacks."

Mary gulped. "Drawbacks?"

"Mm-hm. For instance, I wouldn't be able to do this." He captured her earlobe between his teeth, smiling when she inhaled suddenly. "Or this." Marshall kissed the spot just below her ear that always made her shudder. "And I definitely shouldn't do this." Marshall captured her lips in a searing kiss that had her panting.

"Okay, you win!" Mary gasped. "The next time a bee's coming after you, I'll let you handle it!"

**QUOTE PROMPT #051 – MARY/MARSHALL/NORAH**

"_There is nothing there. It's over and gone and you all blame me."_

"Norah!" Mary called out from the kitchen. "Did you eat the last fudgesicle?"

"No!" Norah yelled back, her eyes never leaving the television.

Mary waddled into the living room, her nearly eight month along stomach in front of her. "I was really looking forward to that fudgesicle."

Norah sighed, turning to her mother. "I didn't eat it, Mommy! I can't even reach the freezer since you took the stool away."

"Marshall!" Mary shouted, satisfied with Norah's answer.

"Yes?" Marshall replied, popping his head out from the nursery.

Mary put her hands on her hips. "Did you eat my last fudgesicle? There was one in there earlier and now there's not!"

Marshall's eyes grew wide. "Definitely not!"

"Dammit! All I want is a fudgesicle pop and I can't even get that!" Mary ranted in frustration, stomping her foot. "Oh, wait! Jinx was here earlier. Where's my phone?"

"Mary, wait! I'll just run to the store and get you more," Marshall offered, rushing from the room to prevent Mary from calling her mom. The nutty buddy incident from last month still weighed heavily on the family.

Inside the closet in her bedroom, Mary's niece, Aislinn, smiled as she ate the last of the fudgesicle, aware of the commotion going on outside. No suspected her; they never did. She was the baby, at least until Owen came along. All she had to do was flash her baby blues and they believed anything she said.

And the fudgesicle and nutty buddy never tasted so good.


	18. Chapter 18

_Author's Note: Special thanks to **redbrainbluebrain**, **JMS529**, **BrittanyLS**, **thena-ditey** (welcome!), and **Jayne Leigh** for the reviews. I hope I didn't come off whiny about reviews. I swear, I was just joking! But I appreciate each one! I'd like to dedicate #052 to my niece, who actually did last Monday what Norah does in that drabble. LOL!_

**QUOTE PROMPT #052 – MARY/MARSHALL/MARK**

"_Do not pity the dead. Pity the living and above all pity those who have lived without love."_

"Do you think we should be worried about this?" Mary asked Mark and Marshall.

"Nah," they both answered, shaking their heads.

Mary frowned. "It doesn't seem normal."

Mark glanced sideways at her, unconsciously leaning away from her. "Maybe, it's her way of rebelling against you. I mean, you are pretty much the antithesis of touchy-feely."

"I can pretty touchy-feely," Mary snickered, elbowing a blushing Marshall.

"Ugh," Mark grimaced. "I forgot how sickening it was to hang out with newlyweds. Anyway, Mary, I don't think you have much to worry about. Norah's just saying good-bye to her friends."

Mary shot him an evil look. "That would be fine, if she hadn't just them an hour ago. Look at her!" Mary waved her hands towards the four-year-old. "She's hugging and kissing each one of them good-bye!"

Mark shrugged. "She's an affectionate child." He looked at Marshall when Mary continued to glare at him. "Could you help me out here, Marshall? I mean, she picked up most of this friendliness from you."

Marshall looked from Mary to Mark and back again. He stepped forward, calling out, "Norah, sweetie! We have to go! We don't want to be late for Grandma Jinx's birthday dinner!"

"Well, don't you have him well trained," Mark commented with a chuckle.

"Damn straight! In fact, I think I'm going to reward him tonight."

**QUOTE PROMPT #053 – ABIGAIL/MARSHALL**

"_You said before that for whatever reason, I seem to be able to exert some authority around here. I assure you it's not 'cause they like me. It's 'cause they knew two minutes after I walked in the door I'm someone who knows how to do something. I can help"_

"She doesn't like me," Abigail announced, walking into the kitchen from the backyard.

"Abs," Marshall sighed. This was not the first, third, or even tenth time that they had this conversation, "she's three years old. She's shy around everyone. She just needs to warm up to you."

Abigail frowned. Marshall's niece was spending the month with them while her parents sorted out the details of their divorce. Riker, his niece, disliked Abigail nearly on sight. She refused to let Abigail touch her, talk to her, or when she was really tired, look at her. Currently, Riker was playing with a ball in the backyard with Delia. Every time Abigail ventured near her, she screamed at the top of her lungs.

"It's more than that and you know it," Abigail countered. "She's certainly warmed up to Delia and Ma-"

"Hello?" Mary called out, entering the backyard with Norah in her arms.

Abigail looked pointedly at Marshall as Riker squealed and flew at Mary, wrapping herself around Mary's legs. Abigail folded her arms across her chest. "You're right; she doesn't hate me. She just prefers Mary."

Abigail watched from the doorway as Marshall went out to greet his best friend and her daughter. He took Norah from her so that she could pick up Riker, laughing as the little girl kissed her cheek. Abigail sighed at once again being left out.

"Just like her uncle."

**QUOTE PROMPT #054 – MARY/MARSHALL/NORAH**

"_And sometimes you have to let go."_

"Marshall."

"Daddy."

"Marshall!"

"Daddy!"

"What?" Marshall demanded, looking at his wife.

Mary smiled, sympathetically, though inside was rolling her eyes. "It's time to let her go."

Marshall froze. "Just a little while longer."

"She's going to be late," Mary told him, gently.

"Please, Daddy, I wanna go play with the other kids," Norah begged, squirming in his arms.

Marshall frowned. "Just a little while longer."

Mary placed her hand on his shoulder, brushing the hair from Norah's forehead. "Marshall, it's her second day of kindergarten. You'll be here to pick her up in a few hours. Let her go to school."

"Fine," he grumbled. Marshall squeezed Norah one last time, kissing her cheek. He put Norah on the ground and watched as she joined her classmates. "Wasn't it just yesterday that we were sending her off for her first day."

"You're an idiot."


	19. Chapter 19

_Author's Note: Special thanks to **JMS529**, **thena-ditey**, **JJ2008**, and **Jayne Leigh** for the reviews!_

**QUOTE PROMPT #055 – NORAH/MARSHALL**

"_I'm still in love with him. I am. I've been in love with him since I was 23 years old. He's everything to me. He's my life. I feel complete when I'm with him and I feel empty when we're apart."_

"But, Mom, I love him!" Norah pleaded.

"I know, Bug, but-" Mary tried to reason.

Norah shook her head, emphatically. "You don't understand! I love him more than I have ever loved anyone! I can't be separated from him!"

Mary put her hands on her hips. "I am not arguing with you about this, young lady. It is time to get into the car and go home."

"No!" Norah wailed, falling to her knees. "I love him! Please, Mama, please!"

"Norah, quite being so over-dramatic," Mary told her. "You can see Oscar the next time we come to visit Marshall's house."

Norah stopped her lament to look up at Mary, a twinkle in her eye. "Or we could just have Marshall and Oscar move in with us."

Mary froze. "Are you kidding me?"

"Think about it, Mom. Marshall and Alexis are at our house all the time anyway and this way, we wouldn't have to worry about forgetting our homework at one house or the other," Norah explained. "Besides, then Alexis and I can be real sisters and Oscar can be our dog."

"You are one sneaky pain in my butt, Bug," Mary teased. She pulled Norah up on her feet. "You know, it would mean a lot of changes. It's been just you and me for a long time now."

Again, Norah shook her head. "No offense, Mom, but it hasn't been just you and me in forever. It's been you, me, Marshall, and Alexis, even before you and Marshall started dating."

Mary took a deep breath. "I'll agree to think about it, okay?" Norah nodded, a wide smile on her face. "And I'll talk to Marshall about it." Again, Norah nodded. "And if that dog does anything to my house, I'm holding you responsible for it."

**QUOTE PROMPT #056 – MARY/MARSHALL**

_"Success is not final. Failure is not fatal. It's the courage to continue that counts."_

"Marshall, you have to get up," Mary begged. Marshall's response was to bury his head deeper into his pillow and tighten the blankets around him. Frustrated, she ordered, "Inspector Mann, get your ass out of this bed right now!"

Marshall threw the blankets. "I am not an inspector anymore or have you forgotten?"

Mary sighed, sitting on the bed. "No, I haven't forgotten."

"What do you want, Mary?"

"I want you to get out of this bed. I want you to take a shower. I want you to get on with your life," she told him.

Marshall glared at her. "Life? What life? I've been suspended from work. I buried my father two weeks ago. My wife decided she would rather play house with a tycoon than be married to my sorry ass. What exactly do I have to get out of this bed for?"

Mary snatched a photo from the nightstand and shoved it in his face. "This! You have this to live for!" She took a heaving breath. "Your suspension will be lifted as soon as the heat dies down. And your bitch of a wife never deserved you! But this, these kids, you are everything for them and they need their dad."

"I... don't feel good enough for them," he admitted, quietly.

"Marshall," Mary cupped his cheek, "there is nobody in this world better for those boys than you. Trust me. I've been relying on you for a long time now." She stood up. "Now, get out of bed and get on with your life. I'm pretty sure that your boys are tired of staying with us girls."

"You're with me?" Marshall asked, his eyes pleading.

Mary nodded. "Always." She waited until he nodded before turning to leave.

"Mary," Marshall called out as she hit the doorway. "Thanks."

**QUOTE PROMPT #057 – MARY/DELIA**

"_I think one of the most universal human experiences is feeling alone. You'd never know it, but there's most likely tons of people feeling the exact same way. Maybe because you're feeling abandoned. Maybe because you realize that you aren't as self-sufficient as you thought. Maybe because you know you should've handled something differently. Or maybe because you aren't as good as you thought you were. Either way, when you hit that low point, you have a choice. You can either wallow in self-pity, or you can suck it up. It's your call."_

"Mary, girl, what are you doing?" Delia asked, walking over to Mary standing at the bar.

"I'm sucking up the free alcohol while I can, duh," Mary retorted, taking a large sip of her drink.

Delia sighed. "I mean, what are you doing over here by yourself. It's Stan's engagement party. You should be over there mixing it up."

Mary glared at her. "Yeah, because that's what I usually do."

"Look, Mary," Delia said gently, but firmly, "I understand that after your recent break-up with Keith-"

"-Kenny-"

"-whatever- that you might be feeling a little bit down about love right now..." Delia's voice trailed off as she watched Mary deliberately not looking at Marshall and Abigail. "Oh."

Mary looked at her sharply. "Oh what?"

Delia put her glass on the bar. "Mary, can I be frank with you?"

"Only if I can be Judy."

"You're in love with Marshall," Delia continued, ignoring Mary's retort. She gave Mary a hard stare to keep her from protesting. "We all know it. Well, everyone but Marshall. You have him pretty fooled."

Mary turned her head away. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Delia put her hand on Mary's arm to draw her attention again. "Sure, you don't. I understand that you're scared. It's terrifying putting yourself out there."

"He's married," Mary whispered.

"Not yet."

Mary huffed. "He's engaged and almost married. It's too late... even if there was anything to say."

Delia shook her head. "It's not. I think you owe this to yourself... and to him... to tell him the truth about how you feel."

"He loves her," Mary said, her eyes welling up despite her best effort.

"Not like he loves you." Delia paused. "Mary, you don't have to be alone anymore. You just have to reach out and grab it." With that, Delia hurried away.

Marshall popped into the space that Delia vacated. "Everything okay? I... saw you and Delia talking. You look upset."

"You were watching me?" Mary gave him half a smile when he shrugged. "You always are."

"Mare?"

Mary took a deep breath. "Marshall, there's something I need to tell you. Can we go outside and talk?"


	20. Chapter 20

_Author's Note: Special thanks to **JMS529**, **JJ2008**, **Jayne** **Leigh**, and **BrittanyLS** for the reviews! Sorry, I'm a bit behind on these. Real life is kicking my butt. My sister is getting married in eleven days. Yikes!_

**QUOTE PROMPT #058 – MARY/KENNY**

"_I'm gonna take care of you, okay? I'm going to take care of you; I've got you, because that's my job, right?"_

"What are you going?" Kenny asked, his voice husky with sleep.

"My sister called. She needs me," Mary replied, pulling her shirt over her head.

Kenny flopped back onto the bed. "That's the third time in a row."

Mary paused. "And?"

"Don't you think it's time for her to handle things on her own? I mean, the kid's hers, not yours," Kenny huffed.

"And she's my sister. I'm responsible for her," Mary told him with a frown.

Kenny rolled his eyes. "You know, between the two of us, we already have two kids. I don't need another brat on my hands."

Mary's eyes narrowed. "Coincidentally, I don't need another asshole on mine. Good-bye, Kenny."

"Thanks for coming, Mary," Brandi told her as Mary entered her apartment. The relief was evident on Brandi's face as she handed the crying baby over to Mary. "I'm sorry that I screwed up your time with Kenny, but Caden doesn't seem to calm down for anyone but you."

"Don't worry about it," Mary assured her, though she was focused solely on the tiny infant in her hands. Mary bounced him gently. "This is the only guy in my life right now."

**QUOTE PROMPT #059 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"_Please don't stop. I want to know how it ends"_

"Mary, what is this?" Marshall demanded, storming into her house without knocking on the door.

Mary looked up from the counter, where she had been searching on her laptop. She hardened her face. "I believe that's my resignation."

Marshall stood right in front of her. Mary fought herself not to take a step back at the fire in his eyes. "You're leaving? The Marshal Service? Me?" He huffed when she didn't reply. "Why?"

"You know why," she replied simply.

"No, I don't."

Mary closed her eyes. "I don't know how to just be your friend. I don't know how to not depend on you, call on you, lo- uh, look forward to seeing you every day. I'm done. Our chapter's over, Marshall."

Marshall took a watery breath. "Please, don't do this."

"I have to," Mary whispered. "It hurts too much to stay."

"No!" Marshall said, emphatically. He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her close. "Our story isn't over yet." Marshall kissed her, violently, desperately, trying to put all his love and adoration into their kiss.

Mary yanked herself away, violently. "What the hell was that?" She rubbed her mouth. "You're engaged! You are getting married in a month."

Marshall crowded her against the counter, running his hands up and down her arms. "No, I'm not. The story has always been about you and me; will always be about you and me. I just got... distracted for a few chapters."

"You're an idiot."

"Yes," he agreed. "It's up to you, now, where this story goes."

Mary groaned. "How is it possible that I'm in love with someone so corny?"

Marshall froze. "What? You're what?"

"I, uh- crap!" she exclaimed.

"It works out well," Marshall told her, gently, cupping her face. He placed a soft kiss of her lips. "Because I am totally and completely in love with you."

**QUOTE PROMPT #060 - MARSHALL**

"_Maybe instead of just anyone, you should be looking for someone. Someone who challenges you, who calls you on your BS, gets in your face and makes you think."_

After all the speeches, all the questions, all the fighting within and outside of himself, it was a simple look from his mother that made Marshall Mann change his future.

They were at the rehearsal for the wedding. The preacher had just announced them as "Mr. and Mrs. Mann." He and Abigail kissed and turned for the crowd reaction. Marshall's eyes instinctively searched for his mother's; the two of them were extremely close. If he had been just a half second longer, he would have missed it: the complete and utter despair in her eyes over what she was witnessing.

Anguish hit Marshall like a brick wall. He blinked and his mother's eyes shown only joy. But he had seen it and he could ignore. His mother thought he was making a huge mistake. Marshall knew his father wasn't thrilled with it, but then again, his father was so much like Mary, it wasn't surprising. His older brother was quiet on the subject, while his younger brother seemed enthralled by Abigail. His wife, however, was anything but.

All around him, Abigail, her bridesmaids, and family flitted about excitedly, but he only felt an icy coldness grip his soul as he realized that this wasn't what he wanted, but what he had talked himself into believing that he wanted. Marshall felt the world closing in on him. He could hear Abigail call his name, but it sounded distant. He made no indication that he heard her, just continued to stare at his mother in her seat without really seeing her.

The mood in the room changed from jovial to distress as Marshall continued to ignore the others around him. He finally snapped out of it when he felt his mother's hand on his cheek. He glanced down at her, blinking wildly as the world came rushing back in. His mother gave him a single nod and an encouraging smile.

Marshall turned towards his fiancee. "Abigail, we need to talk."


	21. Chapter 21

_Special thanks to **redbrainbluebrain**, **JMS529**, **Meg**, and **JJ2008** for the reviews! Slight spice warning for the first drabble!_

**QUOTE PROMPT #061 – MARY/MARSHALL/ABIGAIL/BRANDI – FOLLOW-UP TO #017**

"_I don't know, I don't know what's going to happen...but I do know how I feel and I feel like I've found something amazing, and I want to be here. I want to get to know you. We cannot be scared. I would hate to miss another boat."_

"What the hell!" Mary shouted, walking into Brandi's room. She walked in to find Lucas' blanket, only to find her sister in the midst of what appeared to be a violent orgasm. Between Brandi's legs was Abigail. Abigail looked at her guiltily while Brandi tried to look despondent, but was having trouble holding onto the expression in her post-coital haze.

"Mary, is everything-" Marshall started, hurrying towards her.

"No!" Mary yelled, frantically. She pushed at him to keep him out of the room, but he pushed past her. Marshall froze at the scene in front of him. Abigail hastily scrambled away from Brandi, throwing her shirt back on.

Abigail cringed, Brandi's juices glistening her lips and chin. "Marshall, I-I can explain."

Marshall's eyes traveled from Abigail to Brandi, who stared back at him with regret, to Mary, whose eyes flitted away. "I.. don't think an explanation is needed. How long?"

"What?" she asked, surprised by the question.

"How long has this been going on?" he repeated.

Abigail bit her bottom lip. "Since you and Mary went away two months ago."

Marshall nodded. "Were you ever going to tell me?"

"Yes," Abigail said, emphatically. "I just- I just didn't know how."

"How... how did this happen?" To himself, Marshall's voice sounded far away.

Abigail glanced at Brandi, words failing her. Brandi cleared her throat. "We met up at a bar. I was sober, Mary!" she emphasized when Mary huffed. "I was hanging out with the girls from work when I noticed some guy hitting on Abigail and decided to step in to help." She looked down, ashamed. "It just seemed to steamroll from there."

Marshall took a deep breath. "Mary, thank you for the invitation to dinner, but I believe I am going to decline. It appears that I need to spend my evening packing and searching for a new residence."

"Marshall-" Mary said, reaching out for his arm.

He raised his hands to ward her off. "I'm fine." He turned towards Abigail. "I just ask that you give me until tomorrow morning before you return home." With that, he turned on his heels and walked away.

Mary shook her head. She glared at Abigail. "I want you out of my house and I never want to see you again. As for you," Mary turned to Brandi, "if it wasn't for my nephew, I would kick you out, too. As is, I think you should go stay with Jinx for a few days."

Brandi nodded, sadly. She turned to Abigail as Mary left the room. "We made a really big mess of things."

"We did," Abigail agreed.

"I don't regret it," Brandi told her.

Abigail smiled, relieved. "Me either. I don't know what's going to happen, but I don't think I'm quite done with you."

Brandi moved to cup her cheek. "I'm not done with you yet, either."

**QUOTE PROMPT #062 – MARY/MARSHALL/ABIGAIL**

"_We're going to stumble, make mistakes, I'm sure more than a few before we find our footing. But we're going to learn from those mistakes, that's what being human is all about. I'm sorry you can't see that." _

"I don't understand," Mary said, quietly, tears in her voice. "I thought she was doing so well. She had a job. She was talking about going back to school. Lily was thriving. Why didn't I see that she was struggling? Why didn't I see that she was about to run?"

"Come here," Marshall replied, pulling her into a hug. He wanted to tell her that it wasn't her fault, that Brandi was an adult, and that she had to make her own way, but he knew Mary wasn't ready to hear any of that. Instead, he offered her silent support.

"What the hell is this?" Abigail demanded, bursting into Marshall's office.

Mary and Marshall sprung apart. He looked nervously from Mary to Abigail. "Mary's going through something right now and I was just offering-"

Abigail interrupted. "To help? To fix all her problems? To go running off because she snapped her fingers?"

Mary rolled her eyes and shook her head. She opened her mouth to respond, but decided against it. With a sad glance at Marshall, Mary made her way towards the door.

"Mary, wait!" Marshall ordered, reaching out to grab her wrist. He pulled her back towards him before turning to Abigail. "I was offering her support. I was offering her a shoulder to cry on. Mary is my friend, my best friend. If she needs me, whether it's now or at four in the morning, she can call me." He looked Mary in the eye. "I was a fool to ever imply otherwise."

"Unbelievable," Abigail muttered.

Marshall turned back to Abigail. "What's unbelievable is that I ever agreed to pull back from my best friend. If you can't accept Mary's place in my life, then maybe you need to reevaluate your place in my life."

Abigail huffed and pivoted around, storming out of the office.

"Mars-" Mary started after a few moments of silence.

"Save it, Mare," he ordered. "Tell me what I can do to help."

Mary bit her bottom lip, thinking. She closed her eyes before hugging him, relieved when his arms went immediately around her. "For now, this is enough."

**QUOTE PROMPT #063 - MARSHALL**

"_There comes a time when every man needs to make a choice, whether it's a professional choice or whether it's a personal choice. In the end, it's about integrity, and it's about chasing after what you really want, even if that means showing you both care a little."_

"I don't know which way to go," Marshall confessed to his mother. Joy Mann patted his head sympathetically. "It just seems that either choice is going to end up with someone hurt."

"Being hurt, Marshall, is part of life," Joy countered gently. "You have to do what you think is right."

Marshall sighed. "But if I choose what she wants, then Mary is going to be angry. But if I choose what Mary wants, I'm going to leave a wonderful girl devastated."

Joy cupped his cheek. "What do you want, my beautiful boy?"

"I want to find a compromise that will make everyone happy," he replied, miserably.

"I think I have an idea," Joy said. She leaned over to whisper into his ear.

Marshall took a deep breath before entering the room. Both females looked up at him expectantly. Marshall fought to control his grimace.

"What did you decide?" Mary asked, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"A compromise. We go with both." Marshall turned and picked the baby up from the crib. "So, from now on, he'll be known as Joshua Stanley Caillou Mann."

Norah bounced up and down on the hospital bed, clapping her hands. "Yay! Thank you, Daddy Marshall!"

Marshall leaned down and kissed Norah's forehead. "You're welcome, princess." He turned to Mary and raised an eyebrow. "Well?"

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but okay," Mary agreed. She huffed. "It must be the hormones."


	22. Chapter 22

_Author's Note: Special thanks to **JMS529** and **JJ2008** for the reviews!_

**QUOTE PROMPT #064 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"_It doesn't matter that he's gone, people die every day. Friends, family... so yeah, we lost him tonight. He's still with us, in here. So are all of them. They didn't die in vain."_

"Mary," Marshall said, closing the door behind the two of them as they stumbled into her house. They both were exhausted, having been up for over twenty-four hours trying to sort out the mess that Mary's witness left, ending in his death.

Mary turned to face him, her eyes not quite reaching his. "I'm fine, Marshall. It's not the first witness that I've lost and it won't be the last."

Marshall frowned. "That doesn't make _this_ time any easier."

"You should really go," she whispered. "My emotions are really close to the surface and I don't think you should be here."

"I'm not leaving until I know you're okay." Marshall brushed the hair from her forehead and nearly jumped at the electricity from the touch.

Mary licked her lips, leaning into him. "You need to go."

He swallowed hard. "I should."

"You have a fiancee," she continued, shivering as he ran his hands up her arms.

"I don't care."

"Marshall," Mary murmured.

Marshall pursed his lips. "Tell me to go, Mary, and I will."

Mary's eyes met his. "Can you stay for just one night? Can you get up and walk out tomorrow morning?"

"No," he admitted, honestly. "Once I capture you, once I've tasted you, I'm never going to be able to let you go." Marshall hesitated. "And you?"

"No," Mary croaked. "No, I won't." After a few minutes, she repeated, "You should go."

"I should," he agreed, but they continued to stand there, eyes locked onto one another, waiting.

**QUOTE PROMPT #065 – MARY/NORAH**

"_I can see it, this one moment when you know you're not a sad story. You are alive, and you stand up and see the lights on the buildings and everything that makes you wonder, and you're listening to that song on that drive, with the people that you love most in this world."_

"You're awfully quiet, Bug," Mary commented to her daughter. "Everything okay?"

"I guess," Norah mumbled from the backseat of the mini-van.

Mary studied her daughter in the rear view mirror. "You sure? You know you can tell me anything, right?"

Norah sighed, staring out the side window. "How long until Marshall comes back?"

"Marshall will be home in two days," Mary replied with a frown. They had gone over this in great deal in the month before Marshall's trip.

"What if he decides not to come back? What if he decides that he likes it in Texas with Alex and Henry's mom more than he likes being with us?"

Mary ran her hands through her hair. "That's not going to happen. Why do you think that?"

Norah shrugged. "My dad decided that he liked Sarah better and that's why he moved."

"Your dad moved because Sarah got a new job. It had nothing to do with liking her better. You know that, don't you?"

"Sure," Norah replied, unconvinced. She sighed again. "What if Alex and Henry decide that they like living with their real mom more and don't want to come back?"

Mary pulled over to the side of the rode so that she could turn around and face her daughter. "Norah, this is their home; you and me, we're their home. It isn't a contest. Marshall will be home in two days. The boys will be home in two weeks. I promise you that everything is going to be fine. Do I break my promises?"

Norah shook her head. "No."

"What's your favorite memory of all five of us together?" Mary asked her. "The one that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside?"

"Um." Norah tapped her chin. "When you and Marshall took us camping and me, and the boys, and Marshall sang all the way there, really loudly, and Marshall even got you to sing, too."

Mary chuckled, despite herself. "That was a pretty good trip. Anytime that you start to miss Marshall or the boys, I want you to think about that memory and know that everything will be back to normal soon."

**QUOTE PROMPT #066 – MARSHALL/NORAH/MARY**

"_Going means saying goodbye, and saying goodbye means forgetting."_

"You're going to be good for Grandma, right?" Marshall asked. Norah nodded, her blond curls bouncing. "We're going to call you every day, okay?"

"Okay," the three-year-old agreed, her bottom lip sticking out in a pout.

Marshall gathered her into his arms, holding her tight. "I am going to miss you much."

Norah patted his back, digging her face into his neck. "Miss you much."

"Do you want to say 'bye' to Mama?" he prodded.

"Bye, Mama," Norah whispered, looking over at her mother.

Mary took her from Marshall, hugging her close. "Bye, Bug. I love you. I'll miss you."

Norah sniffled. "Love you. Miss you."

"Maybe, we should take her with us," Marshall suggested, wrapping his arms around them both.

"We don't want her to forget about us when we're gone," Mary added.

"You idiots," Brandi smirked, walking into the living room. "You're going to be gone for five days. She's not going to forget about you. Now, give me the rugrat," she took Norah from both of them, "and get out of here. You're going to be late for your plane. Happy honeymoon!"


	23. Chapter 23

_Author's Note: Special thanks to **JMS529**, **JJ2008**,** Jayne Leig**h (I'm not much for Marshall cheating either, but that's what the muse wanted. LOL!), and **BrittanyLS** for the reviews. I've hit over 100 reviews so thank you guys so much! Shout-out to my sister, Erica, on prompt #068. She's a huge Whovian._

**QUOTE PROMPT #067 – MARY/ABIGAIL**

"_If you ever, in your life, presume to judge me again, so help me God, I will beat the ugly right out of you."_

"Are you happy?" Abigail demanded.

Mary froze on the sidewalk, where she had been pushing her daughter and niece in a stroller when Abigail came out of nowhere, yelling. "Wha- what are you talking about?"

Abigail scoffed. "Don't play dumb. You know exactly what I'm talking about!"

"First of all, you need to back off," Mary told her in a low growl. "I have my kids here. Secondly, I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about and I really don't care."

"Exactly!" Abigail countered as Mary tried to pass. "You don't care. You don't care, but you keep Marshall hanging on by a leash."

Mary paused, anger rushing to her face. "I haven't talked to Marshall outside of work since my father died. _By your request_."

Abigail shook her head. "Why couldn't you have just slept with him? If you had just done that and tossed him aside like you do to all men, he would have gotten you out of his system. Instead, he's been mooning over you for years! He can't see what a colossal bitch you really are!"

"That's enough!" Mary stepped forward, keeping one hand on the stroller. She could hear the kids starting to fuss at the tone of the voices around them and forced herself to keep her voice low. "I'm sorry if there are issues in your relationship, but that has nothing to do with me. You knew the relationship that Marshall and I had before you started dating him."

"I didn't know how much of a user you really are. You just take and take from him and you don't care what it costs him! Well, congratulations, Mary! Because you cost him his chance at happiness!" Abigail grinded her teeth. "I hope you're happy. I hope you watch as he withers up into nothing, all because he can't let you go."

Mary opened her mouth to respond, but Abigail flounced away, apparently having made her point. Mary bit her bottom lip. She would be lying if she hadn't thought about herself the same things that Abigail had just said to her. The friendship between her and Marshall had always been terribly lopsided. She had done everything she could to push him away, yet panicked every time he pulled away. She wasn't happy for his relationship, but she rebuked all of his attempts to move their friendship into something different.

Not anymore, she decided. She would be the friend that Marshall deserved, that he had been to her. And if that turned into something deeper, she would resist her urge to flee and fight for them.

Mary pulled out her phone. "Marshall? It's me. I just ran into Abigail and I want to make sure that you're okay. Would you like to come hang out with me and the kids?"

**QUOTE PROMPT #068 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"_Most of all, I'm looking for the real thing and you're nothing but a little boy who's not used to being told 'no'. So there's a bunch of reasons. Pick your favorite."_

"No."

"Come on, Mary," Marshall pleaded.

Mary shook her head. "I'm not doing it."

He pouted. "Why not?"

"Because it's ridiculous! I don't want to do it," she told him.

"But, it'll make Norah so happy. It'll make me so happy," Marshall continued.

Mary's frown grew deeper. "What's in it for me?"

Marshall stepped closer to her. He ran his hands up her arms to her shoulders, kneading them gently. She purred, in spite of herself. "I think I can make it worth your while."

"Fine!" Mary huffed, leaning into Marshall's touch. "I'll be the stupid blue telephone."

"Tardis."

"Whatever."

Marshall grinned. "Norah is going to look so cute as a dalek!" He hurried down the hall towards Norah's room. "Bug! Your mom agreed to the costumes!"

Mary sighed as she listened to the excited chatter between her husband and daughter. "I can't believe I married a man-child."

**QUOTE PROMPT #069 – CRIMINAL MINDS CROSSOVER – MARY/MARSHALL/JJ/HOTCH**

"_I don't know how you survived all these years without me."_

"Where is she?" Marshall demanded.

"Marshal Mann?" Jennifer Jareau asked, stepping out from a hospital room to the left of the nurses' station.

Marshall whipped his head around to face her. "Yes?"

JJ took a deep breath, stepping forward. "I'm Agent Jennifer Jareau with the BAU. I was with your marshal when she was injured."

"Do you know where she is now?" he asked, fearfully.

"She's fine," JJ assured him. "She's talking to my boss right now. She has a broken ankle, a separated shoulder, and a concussion. She was very lucky."

Marshall breathed a huge sigh of relief. "What happened?"

JJ grimaced. "From what we were able to tell, the marshal that Mary was partnered up with didn't stay with her like he was suppose to, but instead splintered off, allowing the unsub to rush her. She fell down two flights of stairs."

Marshall swallowed hard to stop the tears he could feel welling up. "I should have been there."

"She was asking for you," JJ told him. "She said that she loved you, but that she never told you. She said that you loved her, too, but wouldn't tell her directly." JJ chuckled at the surprise on his face. "She was a little loopy from the concussion."

"I should get in there," Marshall said. He squeezed JJ's shoulder. "Thank you."

JJ remained outside the room, waiting for Hotch to emerge. When she stayed just outside of the doorway after he came out, Hotch gave her a questioning look. She placed her finger to her lips and dragged him behind her, cocking her head to be able to listen to the two occupants inside.

"What am I going to do with you, Mary?" Marshall asked, trying and failing to keep his voice light.

"I'm fine, Marshall," she replied. "I'll be up and terrorizing witnesses in no time."

Marshall sat down on the edge of her bed, taking her hand in his. "I'm sure you will, but you'll do it with me at your side. I'm stepping down as chief."

Mary looked at him sharply. "No, you can't do that. You worked too hard for it."

"I'm not really happy doing it," he admitted. "Too much paperwork. Besides, I love you and it would be inappropriate to marry you while being your boss. I miss being in the field, too."

"Whoa!" Mary nearly shouted. "Back it on up. You love me? You want to marry me?"

Marshall nodded, his calm nod hiding his racing heart. "And I'm pretty sure that you love me, too."

Mary opened her mouth to deny it, but closed it again. "I do." She looked away. "But marriage?"

He lifted her chin to face him. "Yes. As soon as you get out of here."

"Okay," Mary agreed, softly. Marshall grinned before capturing her lips in a heated kiss.

In the hallway, Hotch wrapped his arms around his wife. "Well, Jayje, that was some nice matchmaking work there. Almost as good as what Garcia did to us."


	24. Chapter 24

_Author's Note: Special thanks to JMS529, Jayne Leigh, BrittanyLS, JJ2008, and redbrainbluebrain for the reviews! We've hit over 100! Thanks so much! I'm so sorry for the delay. My baby sister got married last weekend and everything's been focused on that lately._

**PROMPT #070 – BRANDI/MARY**

"_I challenge you to do the right thing. Not an unreasonable request to make of a man."_

"Mary, why are you doing this?" Brandi asked her as Mary tried on her fifth wedding dress of the day.

"I told you," Mary huffed. "Kenny's mother wants a real wedding since she wasn't there for the last one."

Brandi rolled her eyes. "I meant, why are you marrying this guy? You don't love him."

Mary glared at her. "Of course, I do."

"No, you don't," Brandi challenged. "You're just... comfortable with him. He'll let you do whatever you want." Mary shifted uncomfortably. "He's divorced, you know."

"I know. I wouldn't be marrying him otherwise," Mary told her, haughtily.

Brandi fought to not smack her sister. "No, I mean, Marshall. I ran into him last week. He mentioned that he called to tell you that he was back in town, but that you never called him back. He said that he and Abigail were divorced."

Mary shrugged as she bit the inside of her mouth. "Well, good for him."

"Is that why you agreed to marry Kenny? Because Marshall was back in town? You accepted Kenny's proposal right about the same time that Marshall called you," Brandi pushed. Mary grinded her teeth as her eye twitched. "It is. You're still mad that Marshall married the Texas cheerleader so you're doing this to punish him."

"Let it go, Squish," Mary ordered. "I'm marrying Kenny in a few months and that's that."

Brandi stood in front of her sister. "Don't you see? Now's your chance. Go tell Marshall that you love him. You can have your happily ever after!"

Mary shook her head. "I won't be his second choice."

"Isn't that what you're doing to Kenny? Making him your second choice?" Brandi smiled to herself when she saw the realization in Mary's eyes. "Marshall married Abigail because you never gave him any indication that you loved him as anything more than his best friend. Unlike, Kenny, he wasn't willing to live that way for the rest of his life. But, Mare, all you have to do is admit to Marshall that you love him and he will be yours."

"I already agreed to marry Kenny," Mary protested, softly.

Brandi made a face. "I'm pretty sure that Kenny will bounce back. In fact, I'm willing to bet that he'll be relieved."

Mary closed her eyes, letting Brandi's words sink in. She thought about her time with Kenny, her friendship with Marshall, and her feelings for them both. Mary opened her eyes and gazed at herself in the mirror, decked out all in white, suddenly feeling like the biggest fraud out there.

She turned to Brandi. "Help me out of this dress. There's a conversation that I need to have."

**PROMPT #071 - ABIGAIL**

"_Some people get to you more than others, I know. But when you do everything that you can, sometimes even more than you thought you could, you've got to walk away knowing you fought the good fight."_

She hadn't been invited to the wedding, but that hadn't stopped her from showing up. She sat in the back of the church, away the guests. That there were few attendees didn't surprise her; neither the bride nor the groom had much family. It did surprise her that it was in a church, but she supposed it was his mother's doing.

His mother. The single most important influence in his life and she had barely known the woman, despite how close she and Marshall had been. That alone should have been a sign. But she hadn't recognized it for what it was and now she sat in the back of the church watching as the love of her life married another.

They had had a good run. She wouldn't let anyone say differently, not even the bride standing up there. In fact, she was pretty sure that neither of them would be here right now if not for her relationship with the groom. She wouldn't expect the rigid bitch to admit any of it. But she had loved him and she had left him when he couldn't leave her because it was the right thing to do.

She had let him go.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to present for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Marshall Mann," the minister announced to a roaring crowd.

With one last glance, Abigail slipped out of the church.

**PROMPT #072 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"_Sometimes the only sane answer to an insane world is insanity."_

"Marshall! What the hell are you doing here at four in the morning?" Mary demanded as she threw her front door open. Marshall had woken her from a deep sleep with a consistent pounding on her door. "If you wake these kids up, I'll kill you."

"I'm sorry, Mary," he replied, managing to sound chagrined in the middle of his excited tone, "but I've had an epiphany and I had to come see you right away."

Mary sighed as she ushered him inside. She fought against her natural inclination to throw him back out the door. He had had a rough few months with his engagement to Abigail ending in a giant pile of flames and she had promised herself that she would be a better friend to him. "So, what's this great epiphany that couldn't wait a few hours?"

Marshall grinned widely. "You and I need to pack up the kids, run away to Vegas, and get married. Today."

"Are you crazy?"

"Possibly," Marshall admitted with a shrug. "Give me one good reason that we shouldn't."

Mary pursed her lips. "You're not in love with me."

Marshall huffed. "Please. I've been in love with you for years."

"We haven't even dated," she countered.

"Why bother?" he threw back. "What more could we possibly know about each other that we don't already know? You've been my best friend for years as I've been yours. We've seen each other at our best and at our worst. We've supported each other, hurt each other, loved each other. We've been courting for years. What else you got?"

Mary had glanced away during his speech, letting his words wash over her. When she faced him again, she had a gleam in her eye. "You haven't asked me."

Marshall's smile grew. He fell to his knees, grabbing her hand. "Mary Elizabeth Shannon, I love you; I have always loved you and can't imagine a day where I wouldn't love you. Would you do me the honor and privilege of becoming my wife? Today?"

"Sure," Mary agreed flippantly.

"Really?"

Mary nodded. "We're off and didn't really have anything planned anyway."

Marshall breathed a huge sigh of relief. He stood and pulled her into his arms, kissing her soundly. "Come on. Let's go get everyone packed."

"Now?" Mary laughed.

"Absolutely," he replied. "Now, that I've caught you, I'm not letting you go." He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the bedroom. "Today begins the first day of the rest of our lives."


	25. Chapter 25

_Author's Note: Special thanks to **JMS529**, **BrittanyLS**, **JJ2008**, **redbrainbluebrain**, and **Jayne** **Leigh** (you are kinder than I because I HATED Abigail and not just because she was a Mary/Marshall spoiler) for the reviews._

**QUOTE PROMPT #073 - PETER**

"_I've missed you. Not in a 'we're going to make out' way, not even in an 'I forgive you' way. Just in an 'I've missed you' way."_

"Hello?" Peter said, answering the phone. He had been in the middle of preparing dinner when his cell phone shrilled. Exasperated when no one replied, he hung up only to have the phone ring again. "_Hello?_"

Peter paused when he heard a shaky sigh. "Brandi, is that you?" Peter waited fruitlessly for a few moments for her to respond before continuing. "Brandi, if it is you, I just want you to know that it's okay to come home. Your mom and Mary really miss you."

Peter stopped again, hoping to hear something from the other end. "They were hurt and upset when you first took off, but now, they just want to know that you're okay. Xavier is doing really well. He's a beautiful boy, Brandi. You should be proud of him. He's really taken to Marshall and Marshall to him. I think that there might be finally something starting there. Remember how we used to joke about that? Mary lets me come see him every so often. It makes me feel closer to you somehow."

"You see," he took a deep breath, "I know there's not a chance for us anymore, not after everything that's happened. But I miss you. I miss the crazy conversations that we used to have. I miss laughing until all hours of the night. I miss the way you used to draw me out on days that I just wanted to lock myself away. You are a stronger person than you think."

Peter rubbed his forehead. "I have to go. I have a friend coming over for dinner. I really hope you listen to what I've said. I really hope you come home soon. Good-bye, Brandi."

**QUOTE PROMPT #074 – MARY/MARSHALL – FOLLOW-UP TO #070**

"_The things that you have done for me - to help me, support me, surprise me, to make me happy... go above and beyond what any person deserves. You're all I need."_

"Mary?" Marshall gasped, opening the door. Of all the people he thought would be on the other end of the knocking, Mary Shannon, his former best friend and partner was not one. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm getting married in a few months," she blurted out.

Marshall grimaced, hoping she wasn't here to deliver an invitation. "I know. Brandi told me. She said that you're marrying that Kenny."

Mary briefly glanced downward. "Yeah. No. I don't know."

"What do you mean?"

"I agreed to marry him," she admitted. "But I was trying on wedding dresses with Brandi and she made me realize that he was my second choice, that I agreed to marry him for the wrong reasons, and that it wasn't fair to him." She paused. "I'm going to break it off."

Inwardly, Marshall breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm sorry."

Mary peered at him, closely. "Are you really?"

"I-" he cleared his throat. "I'm sorry that you're hurting."

"I'm not... hurting. At least, not over that," Mary admitted. She bit her lip as her eyes bored into his.

Marshall leaned unconsciously towards her. "What are you hurting over?"

Mary took a deep breath. "See, there's this guy and he used to be my best friend. He used to be everything to me, even though I never told him. I think he loved me at some point, even though he never said it, not directly anyway. I love him, too, but I was too stupid to admit it and I let him slip through my fingers."

Marshall's own breath hitched. "How do you feel about him now?"

"I have and always will love you, Marshall Mann. There is no one else for me," she told him.

"Good," he whispered. He pulled her into his arms. "Because there's no one else for me."

**QUOTE PROMPT #075 – MARY/NORAH**

"_[You are a] Coward and a liar! I never asked you to do this for me, but you did! And now you're leaving, and I'm supposed to live with the fact that I killed a man, and that you helped and lied for me to cover it up."_

"I hate you, Riley Nikols!" Norah shouted, stomping her foot on her mother's front porch. "I hate you and I never want to see you again!"

"Norah Elizabeth Shannon, what have you been told about slamming doors?" Mary shouted, rushing out of the kitchen. "If you wake your brother up, you are going to be in so much trouble!"

Norah rolled her eyes. "Sorry."

Mary bit back a smile. Her daughter was more and more like her every day. "Now, why are you throwing a fit?"

"Because Riley Nikols is a twit!" Norah exclaimed.

"Words!" Mary admonished. "Why is Riley a twit?"

Norah breathed in dramatically. "We were playing cops and robbers."

Mary frowned. Of all the games that the kids played, this was her least favorite. "And?"

"And, well, you see, me and Riley and Jaden were the robbers and see, me and Riley had to kill Jaden because he was threatening to tell the cops on us because we didn't split the money the way that he wanted. Then, Riley decided he didn't want to play anymore because some of the older kids were playing baseball. He left me, Mom, to take all the blame myself! What kind of partner does that?"

"That's it," Mary said, rubbing her face. "Absolutely no more playing cops and robbers! From now on, I only want you playing nice games and if I catch you playing anything like this, you're grounded for a week. Got it?"

Norah nodded, her eyes wide. "Got it."

"Good. Go read a book or something," Mary turned away, muttering, "while I kill your step-father for all the bedtime stories he's been telling you."


	26. Chapter 26

_Author's Note: Special thanks to **JJ2008**, **redbrainbluebrain**, and **BrittanyLS** for the reviews!_

**QUOTE PROMPT #076 – MARSHALL/ABIGAIL**

"_Love means giving chances when there are no more chances left to give."_

"You're unhappy," Abigail stated, watching as Marshall folded laundry in their bedroom.

"While I admit that laundry isn't the most stimulating of chores, I wouldn't say that it was making me 'unhappy'," Marshall replied, dryly. He grimaced when Abigail's face remained stoic. "What's going on?"

She sat on the bed, between the piles. "I thought that if I was happy enough, if I smiled enough, if I remained upbeat enough, that you would eventually feel all of that, too."

Marshall moved to stand in front of her. "Where is this coming from? I am happy."

"No, you're not. You haven't been happy since Mary RSVP'd that she wasn't coming to the wedding. It's like something inside you died. You should be on cloud nine right now, but instead, you're just... going through the motions."

"I admit that I've been stressed lately with all of the changes at work, but I am excited about the wedding," he said, adamantly.

Abigail shot him a watery smile. "Oh, how I wish that were true. Marshall, I love you."

He grabbed her hand. "I love you, too."

"I love you enough to let you go; to let you find that one person that sets your world on fire." She shook her head when he opened his mouth. "Do you love me enough to do the same?"

"Yes," Marshall huffed, his voice shaky. He felt both relieved that she was setting him free and guilty that he was causing her so much pain.

Abigail gave him a single nod, removing her hand from his. "I'm going to star with Sarah for a few days. We can work out everything with the house and the wedding then." She stood and kissed his cheek. "Good-bye, Marshall. I hope you finally get your chance with her."

Marshall took her place on the bed. He closed his eyes as tears streamed down his face. It was such a quiet end to their relationship. He waited until the front door shut before whispering, "Good-bye."

**QUOTE PROMPT #077 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"_See, there's two kinds of people. The kind that gets rid of their feelings. And the kind that keeps them. If you're going to keep your feelings, you're going to get sick from time to time. That's just how it works."_

"Mary, it's time to get up," Marshall whispered into her ear. He was standing over her bed, watching her sleep, a cup of her favorite coffee in his hand. She lay on her stomach, one leg hanging over the bed. Her head was buried under her pillow. "Come on, Mare. We're going to be late."

"Go to hell," Mary muttered, attempting to kick him.

Marshall chuckled. "That's my girl."

Mary flipped onto her back. "How can you be so damn chipper in the morning?"

"What's there to grumble about? It's a beautiful morning. I spent the night with an amazing girl. We're about to head into our wonderful job," he told her.

"Just give me the coffee and no one gets hurt," she said, glaring at him. She gleefully took the cup and cradled it in her hands. Mary inhaled the smell and promptly started to gag. She pushed the cup back into Marshall's hand and rushed to the bathroom, one hand covering her mouth and the other covering her stomach.

Marshall quickly put the coffee on the nightstand to rush to Mary's side. He grabbed her a glass of water and a cool washcloth. "Are you okay?"

Mary nodded, then shook her head. "What was in that coffee? The smell of it was absolutely overwhelming."

"It's the same coffee you drink every day," he countered.

"No way. I've never had that reaction to coffee except..." her voice trailed off and her eyes grew wide.

"Except when?"

Mary swallowed hard. "Except when I was pregnant with Norah."

Marshall's face slowly switched from confusion to elation. "Do you think- I mean, could you really be?"

"This can't be happening again. I cannot be a single mother to another baby," Mary moaned, putting her head against her arm as it sat on the toilet seat. After a few moments, she sat up abruptly. "Go get me a pregnancy test. No, make it two. No, make it five. We should be really sure."

"I'll be right back!" Marshall exclaimed. He raced towards the bathroom door before stopping. He stepped back to her and kissed her forehead. "Everything's going to be okay, Mary. If you are, indeed, pregnant, then the only thing you have to know is this: this baby was absolutely conceived in loved."

She shot him a small smile, allowing him to leave. Mary dropped her hand to her stomach. "That was your father. He's a bit long-winded at times and he can get really irritating with the constant trivia, but he's right. If you are in there, the only thing you need to know is that you were conceived in love."

**QUOTE PROMPT #078 – MARY/BRANDI**

"_It's taken me 32 years to figure out who I want to be, and what I've learned is- it's a choice that you make every day about who you want to be and who you want to be it with. It means you appreciating what's happened in your life to bring you to this point and letting go of it."_

"I can't do this anymore," Brandi cried, walking into Mary's bedroom with the crying infant in her hands. "I can't be a mother anymore. Take her."

Mary took the baby, bouncing her slightly to calm her down. "Brandi, you just have to remain calm. If you're calm, you'll be able to calm her down."

Brandi shook her head. "No, it doesn't work for me. This doesn't work for me."

"Well, it's too late now. She's here and you're her mother," Mary told her, trying to clamp down on her irritation.

"You could be her mother," Brandi offered, quietly. "You're a great mother. Norah's lucky to have you."

Mary sighed, glancing at the baby in her arms. "Ava is lucky to have you, too." She looked back up at Brandi. "I'll let you in on a little secret. There are days that I don't want to do this either. There are days where I fantasize about running away when it all gets to be too much. But I made the choice to keep Norah, just like you made the choice to keep Ava. Every day, I make the choice to get up and be the best mother that I can be to that little girl. Sometimes, I succeed and sometimes, I don't. But you have to try each and every day."

Brandi stared at the floor. "What if I'm not strong enough? I've given up on everything I've tried to do before."

"You are strong enough. You can do this. And when you think you're not, you'll come talk to me. We're in this together."


	27. Chapter 27

_Author's Note: Special thanks to **redbrainbluebrain** and **JJ2008** for the reviews!_

**QUOTE PROMPT #079 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"_It is the struggle itself that is most important. We must strive to be more than we are. It does not matter that we will never reach our ultimate goal. The effort yields its own rewards."_

"Mary! Mare! Mary, get in here!" Marshall called from her living room. He was spending the Saturday hanging out with her, Norah, and her niece, Alyssa, as he had taken to doing often since his engagement to Abigail had fallen apart.

"What?" Mary asked, Norah on her hip.

Marshall looked up from his position on the floor. "Watch this." He moved slightly to the right of where Alyssa lay on the floor. "Lyssa. Come on, Lyssa. Come to Uncle Marshall."

Mary laughed. "You've been trying to get her to roll over for two months. She's only four and a half months old. It's still early."

"I'm telling you, she can do this." He focused back on Alyssa. "Come on, Lyssa. Show your auntie Mary that she's completely wrong about you."

"Marshall," Mary said after a few minutes, "come stand over here for a moment."

Shooting her a curious glance, he stood beside Mary. "Okay?"

Mary nodded towards the floor. "Call for Alyssa."

"Alyssa. Alyssa," Marshall called. He grinned when she turned her head towards him.

"Do it again over there," Mary ordered. Again, Marshall called to Alyssa and she followed his voice. "You have yourself a fan."

Marshall blushed furiously as he pulled the tiny girl into his arms. He kissed Alyssa's forehead. "She can't help it. She's a Shannon. They all fall for me, eventually."

As if to prove his point, Norah reached out for him. Mary rolled her eyes and turned to leave. She looked over her shoulder as she went. "Tell you what, Mr. Charisma. You get that kid to roll over and I'll go out on a date with you."

"What?" Marshall shouted, startling Alyssa. Mary didn't stop, just continued to sashay towards the kitchen. Marshall looked at the baby. "Okay, Sprout, time to practice rolling over! You just may be my ace in the hole."

**QUOTE PROMPT #080 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"_I'm just saying there's a risk in anything that you do, right? But don't you want to stack the odds in your favor? I mean, I'm drawn to you. It's kind of that simple. I've been drawn to you for two years, but chaos always seems to rule, and I don't want it to rule. I want to know where it's taking me."_

Mary sighed as she turned down her street. It had been along few days. She had spent much of it on the road with a whiny witness in an SUV that barely kicked out any air conditioning. The only thing that she wanted to do now was take a long, hot bath and drink a bottle of wine. She had already asked her mother to take the girls for the night so she could be alone.

Pulling up to her house, however, she found her daughter and niece standing in the middle of the driveway. They waved enthusiastically at her as she parked on the street. Mary got out of the car and put on her best smile to greet them.

"Hello, ladies." Mary kissed each of their foreheads. "I thought Grandma was going to take you for the night."

"Alyssa didn't want to go," Norah explained, causing Alyssa to blush furiously. "She wanted to wait for you to come home. Marshall said it was okay. We drew these pictures for you."

Mary looked down at the driveway to see it covered in chalk drawings. In the middle, in Marshall's handwriting, was "Welcome Home, Mom". Mary smiled, sincerely. "Thank you, guys. This is amazing."

Marshall hurried out of the house with keys in his hand. He pulled Mary into his arms and kissed her soundly. "Mm. I missed you."

"I missed you, too," she replied, ignoring the giggling behind her. "So, what happened with the rugrats?"

"I know, I know," he said, raising his hand in mock surrender. "But, don't worry. I'm going to take the girls out for pizza and ice cream. We'll bring you back something. The bathtub is all ready for you and the wine is chilled. We will see you later and I'll give you a back rub."

Mary breathed a sigh of relief. She kissed him once again. "If you're lucky, I'll rub you back."

**QUOTE PROMPT #081 - MARSHALL**

"_So why don't we just ignore each other until we go away"_

"Hey, boy!" Marshall exclaimed, walking into the house. Oscar galloped over to his owner, licking his hand. Marshall stepped forward to the kitchen. He found no evidence of his wife, though to be honest, he couldn't remember whether or not he had seen her car in the driveway.

"I bet you're thirsty," Marshall said to Oscar, noticing that the bowl was empty. He filled it up before turning to the answering machine to see she had left a message. That, too, however, was empty, as was the voicemail on his cell phone.

Curious, he searched the house for any sign of her, ending in the bedroom. It was there that he found her clothes missing and a single white sheet of paper on the bed. Marshall sank slowly on the bed as he read,

_Marshall,_

_I think by now we both know this isn't working. Neither of us is happy and hasn't been happy in a long while. Do you know that we haven't talked in eleven days. I first noticed after three days. It then became an experiment to see how long we could go without talking to each other. By day nine, I had had enough. I've spent the last two days finding a place to live. I'm leaving you the house and the dog. My lawyer will be in touch with the formalities._

_Good-bye, Marshall, and I hope you find happiness._

_Abigail_

Marshall sat there on the bed for nearly an hour. His thoughts were all over the place, but his emotions were relatively calm. He felt a twinge of guilt over their break-up, but mostly, it was relief that flowed through him. He jumped when his cell phone rang.

"Hey, Marshall," Mary said when he answered. "I didn't get a chance to talk to you today since you were in meetings and I just wanted to check in. Did you know that Sarah Stoffer bakes?"

Marshall smiled as Mary drawled on. There wasn't any sound sweeter to his ears that the voice of his best friend.


	28. Chapter 28

_Author's Note: Special thanks to **MegManning** and **JMS529** (and for the catch-ups!) reviews!_

**QUOTE PROMPT #082 – MARSHALL/NORAH**

"_We are all just stories in the end."_

"Marshall, tell me a story," Norah begged as her step-father tucked her.

"What would you like to hear?" he asked, smiling indulgently. "The Princess and the Frog? Goldilocks and the Three Bears?"

Norah shook her head. "I want to hear about how you and Mommy fell in love."

Marshall's face lit up. "You got it. Once upon a time, there was a princess named Mary and a prince named Marshall. They lived very far apart and while they weren't exactly unhappy, they were both in need of a friend. They met up while chasing a bad man and even though Princess Mary liked to pretend that she didn't like Prince Marshall, he eventually wore her down."

"And they decided to work together," Norah added.

"That's right," he agreed. "Princess Mary moved out to the magical land of Albuquerqueconia. They worked together every day to protect the townspeople from the bad guys that lurk in the forest. It didn't take long, but Prince Marshall fell madly, deeply in love with Princess Mary. She fell in love with him, too, but-"

Norah interrupted him, "-she was too stubborn to admit it so she dated other princes."

Marshall tapped her on the nose. "That's right. A few frogs, too."

"And not the prince kind."

"That's right." Marshall took a deep breath. "So, one day, after Princess Mary went off with the Dark Prince of Denveronian, Prince Marshall decided to look for another princess and found Lady Abigail. Lady Abigail was very sweet and very perky and-"

"-and very young," Norah supplied.

Marshall frowned. "Hey, who's telling this story?" He chuckled when she rolled her eyes. "Yes, she was young, but Prince Marshall did love her. This caused Princess Mary to be very sad, although she wouldn't admit it to anyone, including herself. So, when the handsome Lord Mark came back into her life, she decided to have a little princess of her own named-"

Norah grinned widely. "Norah!"

"You got it. Princess Norah was one of the greatest thing to come into all of their lives. So, Princess Mary settled down with her daughter, Princess Norah, and she was happy, though her heart was still missing Prince Marshall, not that she would ever admit it. Prince Marshall and Lady Abigail decided to marry and Princess Mary met a frog named Kenny that pretended to be a prince. It seemed as if everything would work out, but there was an emptiness in the hearts of both Princess Mary and Prince Marshall."

"But then Princess Norah got sick and the only person that Princess Mary wanted was Prince Marshall and Prince Marshall refused to leave Princess Mary's side. They realized that they still loved each other and decided to get married. They adopted Princess Norah's cousin, Prince Aidan, and they all lived happily ever after," Norah concluded.

Marshall kissed her forehead. "That's right, my angel. Good night, Princess Norah."

Norah snuggled with her teddy bear. "Good night, Prince Marshall."

**QUOTE PROMPT #083 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"_It has been overwhelming and humbling and even painful at times, but I could not stop loving her anymore than I could stop breathing. I am hopelessly, irretrievably in love with her. More than she knows."_

"Marshall, it's late. Come to bed," Mary pleaded, walking up to him in the hallway. She placed her hand on his back and leaned against him. He was standing against the door of Norah's room, watching her sleep.

"I know. I just..." Marshall's voice trailed off as he tried to gather his thoughts. "I just can't believe that she's mine. I mean, legally, forever, she's mine."

Mary rubbed his back, smiling. "Yes, she is. She's very lucky."

He sniffled. "I'm not going to let her forget Mark. I won't. She'll know what a good man he was and how much he loved her. I'll make sure she knows."

"I know you will," Mary assured him.

"Are you sure about changing her last name? I mean, I know how important it was for her to be a Shannon when she was born."

Mary kissed him gently to calm his nerves. "I can't imagine her having any other last name."

Marshall turned, pulling her into a tight hug. "Thank you. Thank you for that and thank you for her. Our daughter. My daughter."

"You're welcome." She stepped away from him, tugging on his hand. "Now, come to bed. If you're lucky, maybe we'll make another one."

**QUOTE PROMPT#084 – MARSHALL/DELIA/MARY**

"_After disaster strikes, the important thing is that you move on."_

"What are you doing here, Chief?" Delia asked, walking into the office early in the morning to find her boss sitting at his desk.

"I have paperwork to finish," Marshall replied matter-of-factly.

Delia sighed, stepping to his desk. "I'm sure that could wait until Monday. There's no reason for you to be here today, especially after... after what happened."

Marshall paused and looked up at her. "You mean, after my bride-to-be dumped me at the altar in front of all our family and friends? You can say it. I have. Repeatedly."

"Yeah," Delia agreed, awkwardly. "You should take a few days to yourself, get your bearings back."

"My bearings are fine, Delia," he told her. "At the end of the day, I'm actually relieved. I wish she hadn't chosen that particularly venue, but at least she had the guts to voice her doubts, unlike me."

Delia tilted her head. "You had doubts? And you were going to marry her anyway?"

Marshall hesitated before nodding. "I didn't want to hurt her. I thought we could work it out."

"You-" Her voice trailed off when she saw the hurt look on his face. "Still, I think a few days at home would do you some good."

"I know that you're trying to help," Marshall said, calmly. "But this is what I need to do. This is helping me move on. Please, just let me do that."

They both turned at the sound of the door opening. Mary popped her head into the office. She had Norah on her hip. "Thought you might be here. Come on, Chief. You're favorite blond duo is taking you to brunch."

"I-"

"Nope. We don't want to hear any protests, right, bug?" Mary nudged her daughter, who nodded. "Let's go."

Marshall smiled sincerely for the first time as he rose, grabbing his coat. He glanced out Delia. "You're welcome to come."

Delia held up her head. "Another time. Enjoy yourself."

She stood in the doorway as the trio left the office. The last thing she heard as the elevators closed was Marshall laughing as Mary told him, "Just so you know, you're buying."


	29. Chapter 29

_Author's Note: Special thanks to **redbrainbluebrain**, **JMS529**, **JJ2008**, **BrittanyLS**, and **Jayne Leigh** for the reviews! I have about 70 chapters in by e-mail waiting to be reviewed over the past month so I'll be trying to do that the rest of the week myself. Also, I've reached the conclusion that I have a really hard time believing Brandi wouldn't leave her baby with Mary at some point. LOL!_

**QUOTE PROMPT #085 – MARY/JINX**

"_I mean, everybody's got that picture in their mind. The one of, you know, how they think their life's supposed to be."_

"Are you sure that you what to do this?" Mary asked her mother as Mary sat brushing Norah's hair.

Jinx rolled her eyes as picked the baby out of the stroller. "Absolutely. We haven't had a family picture in, well, I don't think we've ever had a family picture."

Mary eyed her nephews in the corner, who were currently fighting over a toy firetruck while their mother flirted with photographer. "There might be a reason for that."

"Look, Mary," Jinx said, pointedly, "I know this isn't your thing, but it's important to me. You only have to be here for a little while longer, okay? I just need you to suck it up and smile at the camera."

"Why is this so important to you anyway?" Mary questioned. "Why now?"

Jinx hesitated, smoothing the non-existent wrinkles in the baby's dress. "When I was young, my mother used to take me to her sister's house every once in awhile. It was so... different than our house. Our house was clean and proper and cold. My aunt's house was chaotic and warm. There were pictures everywhere of her family. I swore when I grew up and had kids that I would have pictures just like that."

Mary placed her hand on Jinx's arm. "We had pictures."

"We had snapshots here and there. I think we're missing three whole years of you girls. Three years of pictures that I'll never get back." Jinx's voice was full of regret. "Anyway, what's done is done, but I am not going to make the same mistake with my grandchildren. We are going to have lots and lots of pictures, both formal and informal."

"Sorry, I'm late," Marshall apologized, rushing into the studio. He grabbed the baby from Jinx and smothered her with kisses before turning his affection on Norah. "I didn't miss anything, did I?"

Jinx patted his arm. "Not a thing. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go get the boys ready since Brandi seems otherwise occupied."

Marshall turned to Mary, who was deep in thought. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah," she answered with a smile. "I was just thinking that maybe we should do this a little more often."

**QUOTE PROMPT #086 – MARK/NORAH**

"_Don't know. I'm starting to like this poetry thing. 'Here lies my beloved, my autumn flower... somewhat less attractive now that she's all corpsified and gross—'"_

"Don't let it drip," Mark warned, watching his eight-year-old daughter eat a hot fudge sundae.

"How long are you going to be here, Daddy?" Norah asked, licking her spoon.

Mark leaned forward and wiped her chin. "Only a few days, this time, Princess. My plane leaves on Monday."

Norah sighed dramatically. "Okay."

"So, Mom tells me that you have a little crush," Mark told her.

"I do not!" Norah protested, blushing furiously.

Mark bit back a smile. "Really? Not even a little one? Not even on Micah Latimar?"

Her jaw dropped. "No! He's a- He's a- He's a Bubble Brain!"

"A what?" Mark burst out laughing.

"I don't like him, Daddy," Norah pouted.

He brushed the hair from her forehead. "Okay, okay, but you know if you ever do like a boy, you can tell me, right? I promise I won't make fun of you."

Norah grinned. "I know. But I don't think I'm ever going to like boys. Marshall says that boys are icky."

"Marshall is completely right," Mark deadpanned.

**QUOTE PROMPT #087 – MARY/BRANDI**

"_Going home wouldn't fix that. Being here, I've seen things I never dreamt I'd see, loved people, people I never would have know if I'd stayed where I was. And I wouldn't change that for the world."_

"Where are you this time?" Mary asked her sister over the phone, not bothering to hide the annoyance in her voice.

Brandi blathered on, unaffected. "Louisiana. No, Georgia. Yeah, in Georgia, I think. It's really beautiful around here. A little boring, but beautiful."

Mary pinched her nose. "That's wonderful, Brandi, but when are you coming home?"

"Well, I should probably be able to get a week out there in between when the Great Hyenas tour ends and the Polka Dot Puppies starts," Brandi replied.

"You signed up for another tour?" Mary was incensed. She had been taking care of Brandi's daughter for nearly six months now while Brandi ran off to be a roadie.

Brandi sighed. "Well, yeah. It's pretty good money and I get to travel all over the country. If I can get on the Brian Griffin band tour, I can go to Europe. Isn't that exciting?"

Mary took a deep breath to calm her anger. "What's exciting is the fact that your daughter learned to crawl. What's exciting is that she said her first word. Want to know what it was? Mama. Want to know who she said it to? Me!"

"You knew I was going to be gone for awhile."

"I thought you'd be gone for a few weeks and then realize that you should be here with your daughter!" Mary shot back.

Brandi sighed again. "I'm not cut to be a mother. This, though, this I'm good at."

Mary shook her head. "Brandi-"

"Look, Mare, I've gotta go. I'll call you soon." With that, Brandi hung up the phone. She finally felt good about her life and she wasn't going to let anyone, even her big sister, put an end to that.


	30. Chapter 30

_Author's Note: Special thanks to **JMS529**, **BrittanyLS**, and **JJ2008** for the reviews!_

**QUOTE PROMPT #088 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"_Sometimes we search for one thing but discover another."_

"Marshall! Have you seen Norah's shoes?" Mary called out, rushing to pack up her daughter's things so that she could drop Norah off at her grandmother's before work. They had spent the weekend holed up in Marshall's house as was an increasingly common occurrence lately.

"Um, try the armoire!" he yelled back, feeding Norah her breakfast.

Mary sighed and mumbled, "You couldn't just say dresser like everyone else."

Rifling through the shelves, she found her hairbrush, the dvd case for "Die Hard," and Norah's shoes. She was shutting the door to the armoire when a small, shiny bag caught her eye. Pausing to make sure that she could still hear Marshall in the kitchen, Mary snatched the bag and looked inside.

"Oh... my... God," Mary whispered.

"Did you find the shoes?" Marshall asked, walking into the bedroom, carrying Norah on his hip. His eyes widened when he saw what Mary had in her hand.

Mary's eyes flicked from the bag to Marshall. "What is this?"

Marshall held Norah closer, almost as a shield. "It's, um, it... It was suppose to be a surprise."

"A surprise?" she repeated.

"Mary," Marshall took a deep breath as he stepped forward, "I love you. I know that you love me, too, even if you never say it." Mary let out a nervous whoosh. "I absolutely treasure the time that the three of us spend together and I'm lost whenever you and Norah aren't here.

"I want to come home and eat dinner with you. I want to help you put Norah to bed, then take my wife to bed and make love to her half the night. I want to wake up tangled up with you in the morning and have you harass me to make breakfast. I want to spend my life with you. Mary, will you marry me?"

Mary licked her lips. She took a quick glance to Norah, who was watching her intently. She shrugged. "Okay."

Marshall breathed in sharply. "Okay?"

"Sure, why not? It'll save us a few bucks not paying for two houses."

Marshall grabbed her and pulled her close, careful to not squish Norah. "If I knew the saving money angle would be the key to you saying yes, I would have asked you years ago."

**QUOTE PROMPT #089 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"_You know, that's maybe what sucks most about getting older. Somewhere along the way you just lose the butterflies"_

"So, are you and Kenny celebrating your anniversary?" Marshall asked Mary as they packed up the office for a long weekend.

Mary scoffed. "Anniversary?"

He nodded. "It's been a year since you two have... you know."

"Yeah, I don't think that's something to really celebrate."

"Why not?" Marshall peered closely at her face in a way that made her shift uncomfortably.

Mary shrugged. "We're just not those kind of people. We don't even see each other week." She frowned at his almost appalled look. "Hey, we're adults. We don't get that butterfly in the stomach feeling when we see each other. It's just companionship."

In a flash, Marshall moved in front of her, standing close enough that she could feel his body heat. He tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "You should never live without the butterflies, Mary. It's what keeps life exciting and fresh."

"Oh?" she squeaked.

Marshall lowered his lips so that they were just out of reach of her lips. His eyes remained locked on hers. "Do you feel the butterflies, Mary?" A hot flush crept up her neck and she nodded. "Good." With that, he released her and began to walk towards the elevator.

Mary glared at the back of his head. "What the hell? You can't just... do that and walk away!"

He turned back around, placing his hands on her shoulder. "You're not free to feel the butterflies with me, Mary. Not yet, anyway."

"What are your plans for this weekend?" she asked, abruptly.

"Working around the house," Marshall replied, a bit of confusion lacing his voice.

Mary nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow." She gave him a crooked smile before strolling out the door, leaving him standing in the middle of the office. She had a conversation that she needed to get to, but tomorrow; tomorrow she would let her butterflies soar.

**PROMPT #090 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"_I know that you're confused about who you are, so I'm going to tell you. You are a hero who helped your people."_

Marshall walked into his house after a long day at the office that started at four in the morning. It was a little before 9PM now. He nearly burst out laughing at the sight in his living room. His wife sat on the floor, her back against the couch. Their three-month-old son lay in her lap, sleeping, while his sisters, Norah and Kaylee, flitted around, fixing Mary's hair and make-up. From his position near the door, he could count thirteen barrettes, alone.

"Hello, ladies," Marshall said, causing them to look up.

"Marshall!" Norah squealed at the same time that Kaylee shouted, "Daddy!"

Marshall picked up both girls and kissed them. "Have you guys been driving your mother crazy today?"

Norah and Kaylee exchanged guilty looks before Norah replied, "No."

"I'm sure." He put them on the floor. "Now, it's pretty late so why don't you go into your room and get your pajamas on? Pick out a book to read. I'll be there soon."

"Okay!" they yelled in unison, skipping down the hall.

Marshall turned his attention to Mary. "You look ravishing."

Mary glared at him. "Three kids. You were suppose to shoot me if I ever ended up with three kids. You remember that?"

"Rough day?" His smile faded when tears welled up in her eyes. "What's wrong?"

"I have spent all day being used for food and entertainment," she replied. "I can't even remember the last time that I took a shower. I don't know who I am anymore outside of Mommy." She sighed miserably when there was a loud crash from the girls' bedroom. "Can you hold him while I go check that out?"

Marshall took the baby and helped her up. He kissed her forehead, but refused to let her go. "I'll go sort out the girls and take care of the baby. You are going to march into the bathroom and take a long, hot bath. And later, after the kids are in bed, I'm going to remind you that you are not just a mommy, but my gorgeous, sexy wife."


	31. Chapter 31

_Author's Note: Special thanks to **Jayne Leigh**, **MegManning** (thank you! That is a high compliment!), and **JMS529** for the reviews! Slight spice warning for #093. Very slight._

**QUOTE PROMPT #091 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"_Mobiles, landlines, tin cans with bits of string - everything, absolutely everything! No phones, phones all broken. Hello? Anyone there? No, 'cause the phones aren't working!"_

"Where the hell have you been?"

Marshall woke up suddenly from his position on the couch to the sound of Mary yelling as she slammed the door. "Mar- what- uh?" He rubbed his face with his hands. "What are you doing here? Why aren't you on your trip?"

She stalked over to the coffee table and snatched his cell phone from the coffee table. "Why didn't you answer your phone?"

"I turned if off. We didn't get in until almost ten this morning after being up for the last three days. Ibanez agreed to keep the marshals covering in the office so that Delia and I could catch up on sleep," Marshall explained. "Is there something wrong? Is everything okay with Norah and Aidan?"

"Everyone's fine. There's nothing wrong."

Marshall sighed. "Then, why were you trying to get in touch with me when you're suppose to be on a romantic weekend?"

Mary shrugged, uncomfortably. "I... wanted to check in."

"And when I didn't answer the phone, you came all the way back here?" he clarified.

"Well... yeah," she confessed. Her cheeks flared red with embarrassment. "I mean, I got worried when I couldn't get a hold of you."

Marshall frowned, standing up. "What about Kenny?"

Mary cocked her head to the side. "What about him?"

"Um, he couldn't have been happy that you left to check on me," Marshall explained further.

"He... understood," she lied, thinking back to the argument they had that morning that had effectively broken them up when she told him she was coming back to Albuquerque to check on Marshall.

Marshall moved in front of her. He had a mischievous look in his eye that made her heart beat a bit faster. He rarely shot her that look, allowing her to believe he never viewed her as anything other than a friend.

"Did he really, Mare?" Marshall skimmed his fingers down her hair, playing with the ends as he leaned into her. "I can't imagine that he really was. I know I wouldn't if I had finally gotten you away somewhere, just the two of us."

"We-" Mary felt her mouth go dry. "We broke up, but it's fine. The only thing that I'll miss is the sex and that wasn't all that great anyway."

Marshall licked his lips. "You deserve some really great sex."

Mary thought her insides were going to burst from his heated gaze. "Oh yeah? Know anyone that will give it to me?"

He opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by the shrill of her cellphone. Marshall pulled it from her hip and checked the caller ID. "It's Kenny."

Mary took the phone and threw it on the couch. "I don't care."

"Good." He kissed her bruisingly, pushing her against the front door. He finally broke for air. "You were really worried about me?"

"Of course. Where else am I going to get this really good sex?"

Marshall's laughter echoed through the apartment as he carried her to the bedroom.

**QUOTE PROMPT #092 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"_It was like something from an old movie, where the sailor sees the girl across the crowded dance floor, turns to his buddy and says, 'See that girl? I'm gonna marry her someday.'"_

If anyone had asked him the day he met Mary if he would be here today, standing in the middle of their backyard, cooking hamburgers while she chased their children, he would have laughed. More than that, Marshall Mann most likely would have had them taken in for a psychological evaluation. To say Mary was abrasive would have been kind.

But still, in the back of his head, he knew there was something special about her.

So, he wore her down, made her think about herself, about her life, about where she was going. In the end, he convinced her to uproot her life and move to Albuquerque to be his partner. Marshall spent the next few years wearing down her defenses by becoming her best friend.

He nearly lost her when she became engaged to Raph and again when she ran off with that snake, Faber. His relationship with Abigail and her subsequent pregnancy to her ex-husband threatened to both their friendship to hell, but them came through, a bit battered, but still strong. He nearly blew it after his engagement, though, sending her running into the arms of the sleazy Kenny.

But then, Brandi left, leaving her seven-week-old son behind. Kenny, no surprise, took off for greener pastures and Jinx had gotten a new job in California, meaning Mary was left to tend to two infants on her own. Mark tried to help when he could, but his business had taken off and he spent the majority of his time traveling all over the country. Mary's long days in the office meant that Joanna wasn't an option when Mary was off the clock.

It didn't take Mary long to begrudgingly accept the help that Marshall offered. It took even less time for Abigail to issue a final ultimatum for Marshall to completely end his friendship with Mary. He was gone the next day. He was moved into Mary's within a month and they were married within three. Mary said that she lost him once, but she wasn't going to make that mistake again.

"Hey, how are those burgers coming?" Mary asked him. She grinned as he blinked several times, coming out of his daze. "Morning, tiger. Where were you?"

Marshall kissed her, softly. "Just thinking about how I always knew we'd end up here."

"You're so full of shit."

**QUOTE PROMPT #093 – MARY/MARSHALL/NORAH**

"_Courage doesn't mean that you don't have fear, it means that you've learned to overcome it."_

"You know," Mary moaned as Marshall brushed against her nipple, "as much as I'm enjoying these slow touches, we really should move this along before-"

"Mommy! Daddy!" Norah screamed from her bedroom. "Mommy!"

In flash, Marshall leapt from their bed and rushed down the hall. He opened Norah's bedroom door to find her sitting in the middle of her bed, tears streaming down her face. "Hey, Bug, what's the matter?"

Norah hiccupped, reaching her arms out to him. "Monsters were chasing me!"

"Again?" he asked, sitting on the bed and pulling her into his arms.

"Uh-huh." Norah buried her head into his shoulder. "I sleep with you and Mommy?"

Marshall kissed the top of her head. He was tempted to let her, but knew his wife would have a conniption. "Not tonight. You need to sleep in your big girl bed."

She pouted. "I scared."

"You have nothing to be scared about. You see this bear?" He pointed to the bear at the end of the bed.

"Mary Bear."

Marshall smiled. "Yep. Mary Bear. Mary Bear will protect you from any monsters that try to come into the room."

Norah grabbed the bear and hugged it tight. "Just like Mommy."

"Just like her." He put her back into bed and tucked the blanket tight around her. "Good night, Bug. I love you."

"Love you, too, Daddy," she yawned, already falling back to sleep.

Marshall returned to his bedroom to find that Mary had slipped on one of his white dress shirts and nothing else. It was his favorite look on her. He felt his underwear grow tight.

"She tucked back into bed?" Mary asked. He nodded, his eyes roaming over her form. "Monsters again?" He nodded a second time. "It's a good thing there are no monsters in here."

"Oh, there's at least one," he growled. He leapt onto the bed to finish what they had started, squeals and laughter quickly turning into sighs and groans as Marshall unleashed his monster.


	32. Chapter 32

_Author's Note: Special thanks to **JMS529**, **BrittanyLS**, and **JJ2008** for the reviews! Prompt #095 is short because I wanted to see if I could write one shorter than the quote. Success. LOL!_

**QUOTE PROMPT #094 – MARSHALL/JINX – SET BETWEEN SEASONS 4 & 5**

"_Your mom also said I was ready for fatherhood"_

"How is she?" Marshall asked, jumping up as Jinx entered the waiting room.

"She's fine," Jinx assured him. She reached up to pat his cheek. He had remained in the hospital since Mary was brought in. "You're a good friend, Marshall. The best the Mary has ever had."

Marshall smiled, sadly. "She's my best friend, too."

Jinx motioned for him to sit down. "Mary's going to need a lot of support. The baby's in NICU and while, everything looks like it's going to be okay, she's still very small. She named the baby Norah."

"Norah?"

"Yes." Jinx looked at him sideways. "You seem surprised by that."

Marshall cleared his throat. "It's just- That was my grandmother's name."

Jinx smiled and closed her eyes. She had wondered herself where Mary had gotten the name, but was afraid to ask. "I know that what I'm about to ask you is unfair, but... Mary really needs you, even though she says she doesn't need anyone. Mark may be Norah's father, but it's you that Mary's going to turn to for reassurance that she's doing the right thing. Can you be that person for her?"

"Of- of course," Marshall promised. "I will be anything that Mary needs."

"Thank you, Marshall," Jinx told him. She rose to return to Mary's room. "I know that I shouldn't say this, but... I wish it had been you that had been Norah's father."

Marshall stared after her as Jinx quickly made her way out of the waiting room. "I wish it had, too."

**QUOTE PROMPT #095 – MARY/BRANDI**

"_And when those unknowns are too overwhelming, it's the constants that we have to hold onto. Like our friends. The ones who are not afraid to tell us that there's no such thing as normal. The ones who have been in our lives for every minute with you, even the hardest minutes. Like those who could have walked away, but chose to stick around. Even though they had their own lives, families. Their own children. Like our parents, because we wouldn't be here without them. Who pick us up when we fall, who come when we call them, who answer the door when we knock."_

"Brad Pitt? Really, Mom?" Brandi laughed.

Mary sighed as she entered her house to find her mother and sister sitting around the kitchen table. It was late and the kids were hopefully asleep. "Hello."

"Hey, Mare," Brandi called out to her. "If you had to get stuck on an island with just one other adult for the rest of your life, who would it be?"

"Marshall," Mary replied without hesitation.

"Oh, really?" Marshall asked, coming around the corner.

Mary jumped when she realized that he had heard her answer. "Well, yeah, who else is going to be my bitch?"

**QUOTE PROMPT #096 – MARY/MARK**

"_The future is scary, but you can't just run back to the past because it's familiar."_

"Mary, what are you doing here?" Mark asked, opening the door to reveal his ex standing there in the middle of the night.

"Let's have sex," she replied, simply, marching inside.

Mark ran his hand over his face. "Why?"

She scoffed. "Are you really asking me that? I don't know. Maybe because I have an itch to scratch and I happen to know that you're pretty good at that."

"Mary, I'm not the one you want to sleep with," he told her, plainly.

"Uh, yeah, you are," Mary retorted. "Why else would I be here in the middle of the night?"

Rubbing his neck, Mark answered, "Because Marshall broke off his engagement and you're afraid that it's because of you." He held up a hand when she went to protest. "You're afraid that if he broke off his engagement because of you that he's going to demand that you finally confront your feelings for him and you're not sure that you can do that. So, you think that by running back to me, where it's comfortable, you can avoid all of that."

Mary glared at him. "What are you? A shrink?"

"Yeah, and I specialize in the study of Mary," he cracked. "Mary, I've watched you for two years now and you are head over heels in love with Marshall. Yes, you are. He's free and you're free. March out of this apartment and go get your man." Mark froze. "No pun intended."

"You're an idiot," Mary told him. She took a deep breath, "but you just may be right. Thanks, Mark, and good night."

"Night!" Mark shouted after her as she hurried away. He wished her nothing but the best in her pursuit for her future.


	33. Chapter 33

Author's Note: Special thanks to **JJ2008**, **JMS529**, and **BrittanyLS** for the reviews!

**QUOTE PROMPT #097 – MARY/BRANDI**

"_I'm such a fool. For five minutes there, I thought he was the one."_

"What am I going to tell her about her father?" Brandi asked, gazing down at the tiny infant in her arms.

"Tell her the truth," Mary replied, flatly.

Brandi looked up in annoyance and disbelief. "That I met her dad at some random bar in the middle of a bender, snuck off to the ladies room, and had a quickie? That I didn't even bother to get his real name and that I sure as hell didn't give him mine. Yeah, that's a great image to grow up with."

Mary bit back a sigh. "Tell her that you were in a bad place. Tell her that you were looking for something, anything to hold on to and that for a brief amount of time, you thought that her father might be just that, but that you were wrong because the only thing that can pull us out of dark places is ourselves. You tell her that you wish things could be different, but that you'll never regret what you went through because it gave you this angel right here."

"Maybe, I could just tell her that her father was a spy that had to leave to save the world."

"Oh, yeah, that's a much better image to hold on to," Mary told her, sarcasm dripping heavily. "That whole putting the absentee parent on a pedestal really worked out for me."

Brandi sighed. "Okay, we'll go with your thing."

**QUOTE PROMPT #098 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"_I thought that if I gave it time, the feelings would go away. But after the last two days, I don't know if I want the feelings to go way."_

"Marshall, what are you doing here?" Mary asked, letting him inside her hotel room. "You're suppose to be resting. Your brothers have a big day planned for our last day in Vegas."

"Yeah, I know, but I have to talk to you," he said, nervously. Marshall paced around her room.

She grabbed his arm to make him stop. After the last two days of drinking, gambling, and funny, she had had enough things making her dizzy. "What do you need to talk about?"

Marshall took a deep breath. "These last few days of just you and me-"

"-and your brothers-"

"Yes, and my brothers, but mostly, you and me, has got me thinking. I love you, Mary. I always have and I'm pretty sure that I always will. I thought that I could forget about you, about the feelings that I have for you, but I can't."

Mary blinked rapidly. "What?"

He grabbed her shoulders and kissed her. "I love you. Marry me. Tonight. Right now."

"Marshall, we are at your bachelor party; three days in Vegas, remember? You're getting married next weekend!"

"I'm calling it off," Marshall told her. "There is only one woman that I want to marry; one woman that owns my heart. What do you say?"

Mary's heart pounded, loudly, as she searched his face, wondering if he was drunk or high. Finding no evidence of him being anything but sober, she nodded. "Okay."

Marshall picked her up and spun her around. "Okay!"

Mary pushed on his shoulders to get him to let her down. "Listen, bub. I may love you and all, but there is absolutely no way that I'm getting married in my pajamas."

"Five minutes. You have five minutes to get ready and then I'm dragging you out of here, no matter what you're wearing," Marshall promised. Mary laughed all the way to the bathroom, debating just how far to push.

**QUOTE PROMPT #099 – MARY/MARSHALL/NORAH**

"_You know, I always believed that nothing ever really changed. I'm old enough that I know that there's always gonna be trouble. War, taxes. Bad guys now are pretty much the same as bad guys have always been. That's not how I feel today. I feel like the world is getting worse and worse and worse. And that what we're watching is the slow, steady descent of the human race."_

"My life is ruined!" Eight-year-old Norah Shannon sobbed, throwing herself across her parents' bed.

"If you're going to keep up with the dramatics, I'm not going to let you spend the night at Aunt Brandi's anymore," Mary told her, looking up from her book.

Norah sighed. "It's just as well, my life is over."

Mary rolled her eyes. "What eight-year-old talks like this? Oh, yeah, mine."

"Don't you care that my life is ruined?" Norah asked her.

"Did someone eat the last fruit roll-up again?" Marshall asked, sticking his head out from the bathroom.

Norah shook her, sticking her bottom lip out. "No. Tomorrow's school colors day and I can't find my blue shirt! All the kids will laugh at me if I don't have my blue shirt. I can't ever go back there again."

Marshall exchanged an amused glance with Mary before grabbing a shirt from his dresser. "Would it be this shirt?"

"Oh, Marshall! Thank you!" She leapt up from the bed and grabbed the shirt, hugging him tightly. "You're my hero!"

"Okay, Norah Elizabeth, time for bed," Mary ordered. Norah kissed her parents good night before skipping down the hall. Mary looked back at Marshall, who's chest was puffed out, proudly. "Oh, doofus, you're my hero!"

He grinned at her. "Just call me 'Super Dad'."


	34. Chapter 34

Author's Note: Special thanks to **JMS529**, **JJ2008**, and **Jayne Leigh** (my 150th!) for the reviews!

**QUOTE PROMPT #100 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"_Okay. So, if you're seeing this, I guess it means I'm, well, dead. Hope it was impressive! Not crossing the road or an 'incident' with a toaster. I just wanted to say, it's okay, it really is. You saved me. You showed me all the wonders of the universe and all those possibilities. And I wouldn't have missed it for the world. Thank you."_

"Mary, what... what is this?" Marshall asked, staring at the papers laid over her kitchen table.

"Oh," Mary answered, sticking her head back into the room. "Um, that's my will. Mark instead that I get mine up to date after his 'near death experience'."

Marshall frowned. "Where he nearly choked on the bacon donut?"

Mary nodded. "That's the one."

"Okay, but what's this?" He held up a piece of paper for her.

"Uh," Mary hesitated a bit. "That's, uh, that's Norah's guardian."

Marshall blinked slowly. "You're giving her to me?"

Mary shrugged. "Mark and I both agree that you're the best person to take her if something should happen to the two of us. I mean, it's not like I can really trust my mother or sister and Joanna would really prefer to stay a grandma. But if Norah went to you, you'd make sure that she knew both sides of her family. You'd raise her the way that Mark and I would want you to raise her, only better somehow. I know she'd be one of the smartest kids in her class, anyway."

"Mary," he breathed out. He pulled her in a giant hug. "Thank you. This is quite an honor."

"Yeah, well, don't get your hopes up too much. I don't plan on kicking for a long time."

Marshall kissed her forehead. "You better not. In the meantime, I think it would be a good idea for Norah and I to start hanging out. You know, just in case."

Mary narrowed her eyes. "Just in case nothing. You want to spend more time with Norah, then you're going to have to spend more time with me."

"I'd love to spend more time with you, Mare," he replied, causing the conversation to suddenly become much more serious.

She licked her lips. "Well, maybe I'd like to spend more time with you, too."

A slow grin spread across Marshall's face. "Good."

"Good."

"Let's start with this," he told her, lowering his head for a lazy kiss.

A blush crept up her face when she pulled away. "That's an excellent place to start."

**QUOTE PROMPT #101 – MARY/MARSHALL/NORAH**

"_Oh, 'meltdown'. It's one of those annoying buzzwords. We prefer to call it an 'unrequested fission surplus'."_

"No! I don't want to go!" Norah screamed, her face beet red. She took the shoe that her mother was trying to put on her and threw it across the room.

"Norah Elizabeth Shannon!" Mary yelled, trying to remember to breathe so as to not choke her child. "You will pick up that shoe right now and put it on your foot! We're late!"

Norah sighed, storming over to snatch her shoe. She crammed it onto her foot. "I'm not going."

Mary raised her eyes to the ceiling. "Oh, yes, you are."

"You can't tell me what to do!" she shrieked in reply.

"I'm your mother. My whole life is telling you what to do," Mary told her in an almost eerily calm voice.

Norah glared at her. She opened her mouth to say more, but snapped it closed suddenly. She ran towards the doorway, her arms stretched opened. "Daddy! Tell Mom that I don't have to go."

Marshall hugged her close. He glanced up at Mary, who had a threatening look on her face. "Sorry, princess, but you have to go. Your mom and I are going out of town so you have to go to Grandma's."

"But she makes me wear dresses and takes me out for tea," Norah pouted.

"I know. But, it's only for one weekend and Grandma loves you," Marshall explained, patiently.

Norah sighed, "Fine," before stomping off to grab her suitcase.

Marshall rubbed Mary's shoulders. "Just hold on for twenty more minutes and we'll be kid-free for the next forty-eight hours. The time away from each other will do you and Norah some good."

"And you want another one?" Mary asked, skeptically.

"Well, yeah," Marshall replied, watching as Norah returned to the room. She lifted her arms up for Marshall to hold her. "I mean, she still loves me."

In hindsight, he really should have seen that punch coming.

**QUOTE PROMPT #102 – MARSHALL/ABIGAIL**

_"In life you just have to accept the fact that not everything is gonna go your way."_

It was the child's shriek that first caught her attention. She couldn't tell initially whether it was in joy or distress, but her years in law enforcement wouldn't allow her to walk away until she assessed the situation. The minute she laid eyes on the reason for the child's yells, she wished she had fought all instincts and walked away.

"Marshall," she whispered seeing her former fiance standing there. He had one child laughing in his arms and another hanging off his leg.

"Abigail," he replied, awkwardly. "How are you?"

Inwardly, she cursed herself for ever coming back to this city, even if it was only for a wedding for a friend. "Good. Looks like you're doing pretty well for yourself."

Marshall grinned, despite the uncomfortableness. "You probably remember these guys a lot smaller. This is Norah," he gestured to the child in his arms, "and this is Hallie. Girls, this is Abigail. She, uh, used to work with Mommy and me."

"Mommy?" Abigail repeated, surprised. Hallie's was Brandi's daughter.

"Mary and I adopted Hallie when she was a baby," he explained. "So, what brings you back to our fair city?"

She smiled. "Ron and Francie are finally getting married. I thought I'd come in a few days early and visit some old haunts."

Marshall nodded. "We try to get back home at least once a year for a few weeks so that the kids will know where I grew up."

"Really? Mary never really seemed like the sentimental type," Abigail said. There was a tone of bitterness that underline her voice.

"She's a lot different than you ever knew," Marshall replied, flatly. He didn't want to get into an argument with his ex-fiance in front of his children, but he couldn't let any sort of swipe at his wife go undefended.

"There's Mommy!" Norah shouted, suddenly. She wiggled out of Marshall's arms to run to her mother.

Hallie pulled on Marshall's pants. "Daddy! Mommy. Please."

Marshall gathered her into his arms. "It was good to see you, Abs."

"You, too," she called after as he walked away. She stood rooted in her spot as she watched Marshall and the girls greet Mary. She could see Marshall gesture to her as he obviously told Mary about their encounter. Even from here, though, she saw that Mary never even glanced in her direction. Instead, Mary rubbed his arm, comfortingly, before grabbing his hand. Abigail finally turned when the family walked away.

Clearly, some things were meant to be.


	35. Chapter 35

_Author's Note: Special thanks to JMS529, JJ2008, BrittanyLS, and Jayne Leigh for the review. **Whoever hits the 500****th**** review gets a story written of their choice.** That's my incentive to get people reviewing. :D Quote Prompt #104 was inspired by my childhood._

**QUOTE PROMPT #103 – MARK/MARSHALL**

"_Believe me, I want to do this even less than you do. This is going to suck for both of us. But we're going to get through it together and we'll both be better men because of it." _

"Marshall."

"Hello, Mark," Marshall said, sheepishly, tugging on his shirt. He followed Mark inside the bedroom.

Mark sat down on the bed. "I see you got roped into this as well."

Marshall sighed, also sitting on the bed. "It's a little hard to say no to her."

"So, how are things at work?" Mark asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Good, good." Marshall shifted uncomfortably. "And you? I hear the solar panel business is really picking up."

Mark nodded, excitedly. "It really is. I'm working seven days a week. Unfortunately, it means spending less time with Norah."

Marshall shared a sympathetic look with Mark. "I understand. Not spending time with my girls is why I gave up my promotion."

"So," Mark suddenly found the ground fascinating, "are we really going to do this?"

"Are you going to pass up this opportunity?" Marshall chuckled when he shook his head. "Yeah, I didn't think so."

They both looked up when the bedroom door opened. Mary sauntered in with a smirk on her face. "Looking good there, boys. You ready for this?"

Mark shrugged while Marshall nodded, enthusiastically. Mary reached into her back pocket. She was suddenly pushed to the side.

"See, Mama," Norah announced, strutting into her bedroom. "I told you that I could get them to wear make-up for our tea party."

Mary snapped a few pictures with her phone. "You sure did, Bug. Nice job."

**QUOTE PROMPT #104 – MARY/MARSHALL**

_"The very young do not always do as they're told." _

"Marshall!" Mary shouted causing him to come running to the kitchen. He found Mary glaring at the floor. Norah and Hallie were standing at their play kitchen covered head to toe in hot chocolate powder. Empty packets were scattered all over the floor. Mary turned to him, trying desperately to keep herself in control. "Do something with this before I explode."

"Okay," he agreed, getting his voice soothing. He stepped in between Mary and the girls. "You go take a nice, hot bath and I'll get them cleaned up. I'll order pizza for dinner."

Mary nodded, mutely. She wandered down the hall to the sound of the girls giggling. She knew that later she would find this amusing, but for now, it was best to let Marshall handle the whole thing. Mary slid into the tub until the water hit her chin. She closed her eyes and let the world fade away.

She opened one eye sometime later after getting the feeling that she was being watched. "Hey."

"Hi, yourself," Marshall replied, letting his eyes rove up and down the tub, taking in the few places where the bubbles had disintegrated.

"Where are the girls?"

Marshall sat down on the stool next to the tub. "Settled in the living room watching 'Mulan'. The pizza's on its way. How are you feeling?"

Mary let out a long breath. "I think I'm pregnant."

"What?" he gasped, nearly falling off the stool.

"I can't drink coffee. I'm craving pie like it's going out of business. I almost lost it with my kids because they were playing like kids do," she explained. "And I'm late."

Marshall tucked her hair behind her ear. "How late?"

Mary sighed, miserably. "Three weeks."

"Three weeks?"

"Don't give me that look! You know what it's been like around here lately. I just sort of... pushed it out of my mind," she explained.

Marshall leaned down and kissed her. "If you are, it's going to be okay. We'll work it out."

Mary gave him a small smile. "I know. And it would be interesting to see exactly what our genetic combination would create." She groaned. "Oh, now I know I'm pregnant! That's gotta be your genes in there are affecting my speech."

"I'll run to the store after the girls go to bed and we'll know tonight." He stood to leave. "I really do love you, Mary."

"I know. I love you, too. And I would love to have your baby."

**QUOTE PROMPT #105 – MARY/DELIA**

"_Brilliant secret. I ask, you tell. Well done."_

"Mary!" Delia exclaimed, pouncing on her as soon as Mary walked into the office.

Mary cringed. "Morning."

Delia grabbed Mary's arm and dragged her into the conference room. "Have you heard?"

"Heard what?" Mary asked, feigning innocence.

"That Marshall called off the engagement over the weekend," Delia explained.

Mary shook her head. "I had no idea."

Delia studied her for a few moments. She put one had on her hip. "Bullshit."

"Excuse me?" Mary's jaw dropped. She couldn't remember Delia swearing at any point previously.

"I know that look," Delia accused. "You know exactly what happened. Out with it."

Mary folded her arms. "I don't think it's any of your business."

Delia smirked. "Okay. I'll just have to ask the boss man himself."

"Fine, you win." Mary threw her hands in the air. "Yes, they broke off the engagement. Abigail convinced herself that Marshall was cheating on her -"

"-with you."

Mary glared at her. "Yes, with me. Well, apparently, she decided that if he was having this imaginary affair that it gave her the okay to have one of her on."

Delia let out a low whistle. "Wow. Of all the ways that I saw their relationship ending, this was not one of them."

"You imagined their relationship ending?"

"Yeah," Delia replied. "Don't pretend that you haven't." Mary froze and then nodded in agreement. "So, you and Marshall haven't, you know?"

Mary pulled a face. "What? No!"

Delia pointed at her. "You are such a bad liar!"

"Mary and I did not have an affair, Delia," Marshall said, standing in the doorway. Delia and Mary both turned to him, guiltily. "Abigail and I broke up Friday night. Mary and I didn't sleep together until Sunday morning. Now, I think it's time to get to work."

"Yes, sir," Delia said, scurrying to her desk.

Mary walked over and hit him on the arm. "I can't believe you told her that!"

Marshall grinned. "Are you kidding? At the rate you two were going, she would have had positions out of you in five minutes. You are an awful liar."


	36. Chapter 36

_Author's Note: Special thanks to **JMS529** and **JJ2008** for the reviews and to **Hannanball13** and **BravoExpressions** for the catch-up reviews!_

**QUOTE PROMPT #106 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"_We are not laughing about this. This is not gonna be some funny story that we're gonna be telling in a couple of months."_

"Shut up."

Marshall looked at her with a goofy grin on his face. "Come on, Mare. It's funny."

Mary pointed a finger at him. "It's not funny. Now, shut up about it."

"I can't wait to put this in the baby book," Marshall told her.

"It does not go in the baby book." She glared at him. "If you value your life at all, you will not put it in the baby book. You will not mention it to anyone. You will put it out of your mind completely."

Marshall stroked his chin in thought. "I don't know. I think it might be worth the risk to see the expressions of joy on everyone's faces when I tell them this story. I'm pretty sure you won't actually go through with killing me."

Mary sighed. "You're right. That would just leave me with the little monster on my own." She paused before standing real close to him, her lips millimeters from his. "How about this? If you ever hope to me naked again, you're going to forget all about this little... incident."

Marshall gulped. "Forgot what?"

"Good boy."

**QUOTE PROMPT #107 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"_My father used to say that the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. I laid the first stone right there. I'd committed myself. I'd pay any price; go to any lengths because my cause was righteous. My… intentions were good. In the beginning, that seemed like enough."_

The thunder clapped and lightening lit up the sky when Mary opened the front door to her apartment late at night. It wasn't so late that she was asleep, but then again, she hadn't taken to sleeping much these last few nights, even after her nephew learned to sleep through the night. Still, Mary was affronted that anyone had the gall to show up at that time of night, especially since she barely knew anyone in Albany.

"You are a surprisingly hard person to track down, Mary Shannon," Marshall growled, causing her to jump.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded, going on the offensive when his appearance knocked her off-balance.

Running his hands through his hair to shake out the raindrops, he replied, "Looking for you. How could you just leave? Leave your job? Leave Albuquerque? Leave me?"

Mary's eyes widened. "I left you my resignation. I did what I had to so I could keep my promise. I did it for you."

"For me?" Marshall stepped towards her, causing her to step back. "Do you have any idea the hell that my life has been the last six months and thirteen days?" Mary paused at his exact number. "I barely eat, barely sleep. They finally put me on administrative leave last week and I have spent every second since then looking for you!"

"Who asked you to?" Mary shot back. "I sure didn't. You told me to let you go. I let you go! Did you honestly think that I could stand around and watch you build your perfect little life with her?" Without realizing how, Mary found he had backed her against the wall. His spicy sent threatened to overwhelm her as she realized how much she had missed it, missed him, but her anger dug her heels in. "I made my choice and you made yours. What do you want from me?"

"I want you," he told her before forcibly capturing her lips. She fought him for all of two seconds before his tongue invaded her mouth. The flood gates opened and Mary poured all of her fury and misery in the kiss. Within minutes, they were ripping each other's clothes off as they were bouncing off the walls towards her bedroom.

Later, when they were both sated and the wrath had gone from their lovemaking, Marshall gathered her close to his chest, afraid that if he left her go she would disappear. "I'm sorry. I never should have made you promise that. I was weak to do it. I somehow managed to convince myself that it was best for everyone."

Mary snuggled into him. "I'm sorry, too. If I had just been honest with you, we could have avoided all of this."

"Honest about what?" His voice was strained.

"I love you, Marshall." She raised her head to look him in the eye. "I am so in love with you."

Marshall released a shaky breath. "I am so in love with you, too."

**QUOTE PROMPT #108 – MARY/MARK/ETC**

"_The one thing I could always tell myself, no matter how shitty my life was, I did my job properly."_

"Seriously, Mark?" Mary hissed into the phone. "You should have been here an hour ago and you're just calling now to tell us that you're not going to make it? What am I suppose to tell our kid?"

"Tell her that Daddy had to work," he replied. "She'll understand."

Mary let out a haughty laugh. "The only thing that she'll understand is that her father is once again breaking a promise to her. Do you really want her growing up thinking that she can't depend on you?"

Mark sighed, his attention already drawn away from the phone. "What do you want me to do? If I can hook this fish, I'll be able to take a few weeks off in a couple of months. I'll be able to spend it all with her. Maybe we'll go on a vacation or something."

"Sure," she agreed, too use to his empty words to argue. "Good luck with your fish."

"Daddy's not coming?" Five-year-old Norah asked, standing in the doorway of the kitchen.

Mary grimaced, wondering how long she had been there. Mary shook her head, but smiled. "No, he has to work. He got called away last minute."

Marshall walked in, carrying towels and four-year-old Alyssa. "Everything okay?"

"My dad isn't coming," Norah replied, forlornly.

"I'm sorry, Princess," Marshall touched her shoulder, "but you know what that means, right?" Norah shook her head. "It means that you get to take a bubble bath with us in the baby pool."

Norah broke into a wide grin. Her step-father was always coming up with odd activities for them to do that were loads of fun. "Really?"

Marshall nodded. "Go get your swimsuit on and meet us in the backyard."

"I help, Norah!" Alyssa shouted, wiggling until Marshall put her down.

Mary kissed him lightly when the two little girls ran down the hall. "Thank you. I don't know how you manage to do it, but I'm willing to bet that in an hour, she forgets that she should have gone with her dad today at today."

Marshall kissed her forehead. "My pleasure." He took a step back and slapped her butt, playfully. "Now, go get your suit on, too! That'll be for my pleasure, too."


	37. Chapter 37

Author's Note: Special thanks to **JMS529**, **JJ2008**, **Jayne Leigh**, and **BrittanyLS** for the reviews! And once again to BravoExpressions for the catch-up reviews!

"_The average life is full of near misses and absolute hits. Of great love and small disasters. It's made up of banana milkshakes, loft insulation and random shoes. It's dead ordinary and truly, truly amazing. What you've got to realize is, it's all here, now. So breathe deep and swallow it whole. Because take it from me: life just whizzes by, and then, all of a sudden, it's—"_

**QUOTE PROMPT #109 – NORAH/OC**

"He liked hamburgers," Norah said.

"But not pickles," Alyssa added.

Norah nodded, solemnly. "And he was a really good pillow to use when you were watching television in the living room."

Alyssa frowned. "Even when he barked at the dogs on the TV and made us fall to the floor?"

"Yes, even then!" Norah admonished. "His favorite toy in the whole world was his tennis ball."

"And Mommy's shoe," Alyssa clarified.

Norah rolled her eyes. "And Mommy's shoe. And his favorite thing in the entire world was to run around in the backyard with us and then jump into the pool for a swim to cool down."

Alyssa giggled. "Sometimes when the cover was on, too."

"Good-bye, Oscar," Norah said, puffing out her chest. Her voice faltered a bit on the next part. "We'll miss you."

"We'll miss you," Alyssa echoed, before breaking into dramatic tears.

In the doorway to the living room, Mary rolled her eyes. "They do know that we're only putting him in a kennel for a week while we go on vacation right?"

Marshall nodded, his eyes lit with amusement. "They take their good-byes very seriously."

"I knew letting Jinx watch them when they were little would come back to bite me."

By the front door, covered by the two little girls with hugs and kisses, Oscar the dog sighed in agreement.

**QUOTE PROMPT #110 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"_Have we sent the "Don't shoot, we're pathetic" transmission yet?" _

"Can we go already?"

"No," Marshall told, exasperated. "The mission isn't over yet."

Mary sighed. "But I'm cold and wet and tired."

He rolled his eyes. "There are still two men left out there. And you want to what? Give up? Surrender?

"Yes."

"Well, tough. I'm not going to let you. We're in this and we're in this together," Marshall told her.

Mary sat against the tree, stewing. She hadn't even wanted to come to this firefight. She only did it when Marshall spouted off some BS about their friendship falling to the wayside with all of the new directions that their lives had taken and that it would be good to solidify their bond. She mostly agreed to shut him up, but now, she was wishing she had just told him to stuff it. She just wanted to be home, curled up on the couch or maybe taking a long bath.

Mary waited another fifteen minutes before she stood.

"What are you doing?" Marshall hissed, his eyes wide as he looked around for those shooting at them.

"I'm done," Mary told him. She aimed her gun at him and pulled the trigger, smirking as red pooled in the center. "Come on, doofus. Let's go home. There's a bubble bath with our name on it."

"You shot me!" Marshall exclaimed. He glared when Mary simply shrugged. He pulled out his own gun and shot her in the stomach. The purple color made a flower pattern.

Mary scowled. "What the hell was that for?"

"Payback." Marshall stood. "You know, I just asked that we do an activity together since we hardly ever just get to hang out together anymore and not be Mom, Dad, Inspector, Chief, Husband, Wife. You're the one that picked paint ball."

"Yeah, well, now I'm picking something else. You can either continue to play in the dirt with a couple of teenagers or you can come get naked with me."

He followed her with not even a two second delay.

**QUOTE PROMPT #111 - MARY**

"_We're adults. When did that happen, and how do we make it stop?"_

She loved the sound of his voice; the way it soothed her nerves on a stakeout; the way it excited her when he barked out orders; even the way it bored her with his trivia.

She loved his hands; the way they held her when she sad; the way they were able to change a diaper in under a minute; the way they curled into her most intimate places.

She loved his mind, the way it mapped out an escape plan in a pinch; the way it fixed her computer before she had time to bring back coffee; the way it packed up two kids, two adults, and an oversized dog into her minivan plus luggage for a week-long vacation to the beach.

She loved his eyes; the way they lit up when his daughters walked into the room; the way they cried for her when she was waking up from her coma; the way they always sought hers in a crowded room.

She loved his compassion, his kindness, his empathy, his passion, his anger. She loved his ups and his downs and everything in between. She loved how much he loved her and never faltered, no matter how long it took her to realize that she loved him back.

But this was when she loved him the most: sitting on her front porch with a beer in her hand and the dog at her feet, watching as he ran up and down the street in a ragtag game of hide and seek with all of the neighborhood kids, laughing maniacally as he dodged the twins down the street, looking much younger than his forty-nine years.

And she hoped he never grew up.


	38. Chapter 38

Author's Note: Special thanks to **JMS529**, **JJ2008**, **Jayne Leigh**, and **BrittanyLS** for the reviews! And to **BravoExpressions** for continuing to play catch-up on reviews! Spice warning for #114.

**QUOTE PROMPT #112 – MARY/NORAH**

"_I stopped believing. Not in some depressed I'm-gonna-cry way, not in a way I even noticed until tonight. It's just… every day, I think I believe a little less and a little less and a little less, and that… sucks."_

"Just think, Princess," Marshall said, tucking Norah into bed, "tonight, the Easter Bunny comes and brings you a basket full of goodies."

"Yay!" Norah cheered, clapping her hands. She smiled when Marshall kissed her forehead and then headed out the door.

Mary sat down on Norah's bed. "That was a pretty fake cheer there, Bug. What gives?"

Norah shrugged. "Marshall didn't seem to notice."

"That's because Marshall thinks that world rises and sets on you," Mary explained. "He would never believe that you have a deceptive bone in your body. I know differently."

"It's this whole Easter Bunny thing," Norah sighed. "I mean, really, Mom? A giant bunny is going to come into my house and deliver me a basket full of gifts. Puh-lease."

Mary tucked a piece of Norah's hair behind her ear. "When did you decide this?"

Norah glanced off to the side. "I don't know. I guess I've just been thinking about it over the last few weeks and it just doesn't seem real."

"Why didn't you tell Marshall?"

"Because…" Norah smiled. "Because Marshall gets so excited about the Easter Bunny and I didn't want to make him sad."

Mary kissed her forehead. "You're a good kid, but you shouldn't ever feel like you need to hide anything from either Marshall or me, even if it's to save our feelings."

Norah nodded. "Okay, Mom. In that case, I have to tell you something about baseball."

"No!' Mary exclaimed. Norah nodded again. "Okay, I'll cancel your sign-up on Monday."

"Thanks, Mom!"

**QUOTE PROMPT #113 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"_Yeah, that would be me. Sorry, I'm a twat."_

"Mary!"

"Uh-oh!" Mary jumped up from the lounge chair when she heard Marshall yelling from the house.

Beside her, Brandi laughed. "What did you do?"

Mary grimaced. "I may or may not have started the dishwasher and the washing machine."

"Mary! You know you can't run those when someone's taking a shower!" Brandi frowned when she heard Marshall hollering more from inside. She jumped up herself. "You know, I just remembered that I may have left the iron on. I'll see you guys tomorrow when Mom drops the kids off."

"Wuss!" Mary hissed as Brandi hurried out of the yard. She jumped when Marshall appeared in the doorway, wearing only a white towel, his hair full of shampoo. "Hey, Marsh-"

He stalked forward. "Did you or did you not know that I was going to take a shower?"

She took a few steps back. "I'm sorry. I didn't think about it. The dishes needed done and I wanted to get a head start on the laundry before the kids got back."

"Do you know how hot that water gets when you run the dishwasher and washing machine at the same time?" Marshall was stalking ever closer to her.

"I'm sorry!" She looked him up and down. "You didn't burn anything _important_, did you?"

"If I did, you're just going to have to kiss it and make it better." In a flash, Marshall dropped the towel, grabbed her shoulders, and tossed them both into the pool.

Mary came up sputtering. "You son of a bitch!"

Marshall drew his body to hers. "Payback, Mare. Payback." He glanced around the yard. "I did hear Brandi leave, right?"

"If not, she sure got one hell of a show," Mary told him.

"Oh," Marshall's eyes took on a devious tint that always made her tingle, "we're about to put on a show."

Mary slipped her t-shirt over her head even as she replied, "You know, it's not quite dark yet. Anyone could look over the fence and see what we're doing."

Marshall cupped her behind, rubbing his hardness against her. "Well, then, I guess it's a good thing we're good at this."

**QUOTE PROMPT #114 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"_When all we really want to do is let go, lose control, fall, see where we land." _

As she woke, Mary realized that she was laying on something hard. Not just something, but a man's chest. Mary grimaced, afraid to open her eyes. She tried to remember what had happened last night.

Receiving a phone call that she had gotten from a bartender buddy, Mary had dropped Norah off with Brandi for the night before making her way to Castle's Bar. In the center of the bar, surrounded by several patrons, sat Marshall, almost as if he was holding court. Mary nodded to the bartender before walking over to Marshall.

He was initially happy to see her until it occurred to his alcohol infused brain that there was no reason for her to be in that particular bar on that particular night. He stalked off to a corner booth, vowing only to talk to her if she started drinking, too. Mary debated for all of thirty seconds before grabbing a bottle of tequila and following him.

Her tolerance wasn't nearly what it was before Norah was born and she wasn't even halfway through the bottle before she was drunk enough to start talking honestly with him. Mary demanded that Marshall tell him why he was at the bar, getting wasted to the point that she was called to take him home. Marshall took a deep breath before unleashing his story.

Things had been going downhill for him and Abigail since Stan's going away party. It seemed that Abigail held the belief that by placing boundaries on his and Mary's friendship that the bond between them would fall apart. It hadn't quite worked out that way as was evident when Marshall was continuously drawn to Mary's side. The fighting and the distance got worse and worse until he came home that evening to find Abigail in bed with a neighbor. Marshall simply turned around and walked out the door without a single word.

From there, Mary could only remember flashes of the night. Telling Marshall how much she hated Abigail. Running her hands up Marshall's thighs in the cab. Kissing him against the front door. Splaying herself out on the kitchen table, telling Marshall to "dig in." Pulling him in the bedroom and-

Mary shifted to relieve the tension between her legs only to find Marshall still inside of her. She debated in her head if she should slip out and pretend this never happened or if she should wake him up for another round. As she weighed the pros and cons, she could feel tension building in Marshall's body. She realized that he was awake and was waiting for her to make her decision.

And with that realization, her mind was made up.

Mary rocked against him. She opened her eyes and hovered above him. Mary leaned down and kissed him, languidly. "Good morning."

Marshall grinned widely, pulling her to his chest. "Good morning to you."


	39. Chapter 39

_Author's Note: Special thanks to **BrittanyLS**, **JJ2008**, and **thena-ditey** for the reviews! And to **thena-ditey** (and for hitting the 200th!) and **BravoExpressions** for the catch-up reviews!_

**QUOTE PROMPT #115 – MARY/MARSHALL/BRANDI WARNING FOR CHILD ABUSE***

"_How did your brain even learn human speech? I'm just so curious."_

"How could you have been so stupid?" Mary hissed at her sister. "You've known this guy for two weeks and you left my niece alone with him! What were you thinking?"

"I had to run out to the store for diapers. She was asleep. I didn't think it would be a problem!" Brandi cried.

Mary wrung her hands. "That's just it. You never think! And now my niece is in the hospital with a broken arm! What is wrong with you?"

Marshall placed his hands on Mary's shoulders and massaged them lightly as Brandi's sobs grew louder. "She's going to be okay, Mare. Let's just focus on that for now."

"I never should have let her go with you," Mary muttered.

"She's my daughter!" Brandi yelled.

"When it suits you!" Mary shot back.

Brandi stood, her face red. "What's that suppose to mean?"

Mary brushed Marshall of her shoulders and stepped forward. "It means that I've been more of a mother to her during her first two years than you have. You flit in and out of her life like she's a hobby."

"How dare you!" Brandi shouted. She geared up to smack Mary, but was stopped by Marshall gripping her wrist. He sent Brandi to one side of the waiting room and Mary to the other. They both seethed quietly until the doctor entered the room followed by a police officer and a nurse.

"How is she?" Mary asked, jumping up. Brandi, too, rose to her feet, but she eyed the cop warily.

The doctor smiled. "She'll be fine. Her arm's in a cast and she has a few bruises on her arm, but other than that, there are no injuries. Now, she'll-"

Mary's thoughts trailed off as the doctor explained what they needed to do with the cast, knowing that Marshall was hanging on every word. Her only thought was of her niece laying on the hospital bed, crying for her. Mary interrupted, "Can I go see her?"

"You're her aunt?" the doctor asked. Mary nodded. "She's been asking for you. The nurse will take you to see her."

"Thanks," Mary muttered, tossing a quick glance at Marshall. The tiny blond threw herself at her aunt when Mary entered the room, startling the nurse watching her. Mary pulled her into her arms and held her as tightly as she could without hurting her niece until the tears stopped. Mary crawled into the bed, keeping the two-year-old close to her chest, singing to her until she fell asleep.

Marshall entered the room quietly sometime later. "They're going to release her in a few hours."

Mary tensed. "I'm not letting Brandi take her."

"She's agreed to let her come home with us for now," Marshall told her.

"I'm not doing this again," Mary said, pointedly. "If Brandi won't give us custody, I'm fighting her for it."

Marshall pursed his lips. "It'll get messy."

Mary sighed. "I know. But it's what I have to do."

"Just tell me what you need."

**QUOTE PROMPT #116 – MARSHALL/NORAH**

"_And that's exactly how I live my life - from one dream to the next. Hating every update of reality."_

"I can't."

"Yes, you can," Marshall said, patiently.

She shook her head. "It's too far. Just leave me here."

Marshall stretched out his hand. "It's not too far. I'm right down here to catch you."

"I can't," she repeated after a few moments.

"Do you trust me?" he asked, stretching out a hand towards her.

She was quiet again, contemplating his words. At last, she nodded. "Yes."

Marshall grinned. "Then, jump, baby!"

"Whee!" Norah shouted, jumping from the platform of the jungle gym into his waiting arms. She smiled, proudly. "I did it!"

"You certainly did, Princess." He kissed her cheek and hugged her tight.

Norah wiggled to get down. "I'm going to do it again!"

Marshall beamed, though inwardly he cringed. He had created a monster.

**QUOTE PROMPT #117 - DELIA**

"_I have nothing to apologize about!"_

"She's really coming?" Delia whispered, excitedly to her boss.

Marshall shrugged. He, unlike Delia, was not excited. In fact, he was praying that his stomach wasn't about to show up all over the floor of the WitSec office. "That's what Stan tells me."

Delia scooted closer to him. "And how are you doing with all of this? I mean, have you heard from her at all the last three years?"

"No," he whispered before shaking his head. "It doesn't matter. We're both professionals and we can handle a few days together."

"If you say so..." Delia's voice trailed off as the elevator doors opened to reveal Mary Shannon. She looked as nervous as they felt. Her hair was shorter and had more brown than blond in it. It was pulled back into a ponytail, a few strands fallen loose. There were dark circles under her eyes and the tension was visible from the distance. Still, Delia pounced as she let Mary through the doors. "Mary! It's so good to see you! How are you? How's Norah? How's Atlanta?"

Mary stepped back, avoiding eye contact with anyone. "Good. Growing like a weed. Hot."

Marshall turned towards the conference room when it was clear that Mary wasn't going to elaborate any further. "Well, we should probably get started."

"You know, Mary, it's not my place to say anything, but I think if you would just apologize for leaving like you did, you and Marshall could get your friendship back on track," Delia suggested.

"You're right. It's not your place to say anything. And I have nothing to apologize for." Mary brushed past her. "I'm just here to do a job and get home as soon as I can."

Delia frowned as Mary followed Marshall into the conference room. She sighed when Mary took a seat as far from Marshall and immediately began to look through her phone. They were once an impenetrable team and now they were like strangers. If only she could get one of them to bend...


	40. Chapter 40

_Author's Note: Special thanks to** thena-ditey**, **JMS529**, **JJ2008**, **Guest**, and **BrittanyLS** for the reviews! I like reading the opinions on that last drabble as it's the very condensed theme of my next IPS chapter story..._

**QUOTE PROMPT #118 – MARY/OC NIECE**

"_Everything matters. Everything you think, feel, but most of all - everything you do - it all counts."_

"What do you want to do today, Sprout?" Mary asked her four-year-old niece as the little girl stumbled towards the breakfast table.

"Norah wants to go swimming," Kayla mumbled.

Mary studied her for a minute. "We did what Norah wanted to do yesterday. It's your turn to pick."

Kayla shrugged. "Swimming's fine."

"Okay." Mary switched tactics. "Okay, let's try this. If you could do anything, anything in the whole world, what would it be?"

"It doesn't matter."

Mary frowned as she was reminded of Marshall's "everything matters" speech. "It matters to me. What do you want to do?"

Kayla hesitated. "I want… I want to go to the museum… with Uncle Marshall."

"Well, the museum part I can arrange. The Uncle Marshall part may be a bit trickier," Mary told her frankly.

"It's okay. I'm fine with swimming," Kayla sighed, sliding from the chair.

Mary groaned. She and Marshall had been having problems lately as he had been subtly pushing her to expand their relationship and she, in a panic, had been pushing him away. Mary had taken the week off to spend with her daughter and niece so that she and Marshall had a break from each other. The last thing that she wanted to do was call him, but she didn't want to disappoint her niece who so rarely spoke her wants aloud.

"Marshall Mann."

"Hey, Marshall, it's Mary. Are you doing anything today?"

Marshall paused, analyzing her voice for any hidden meaning. She had claimed that she was taking the week to spend some long overdue bonding time with the girls, but he knew it was really to get away from him. "Nothing important. Why?"

Mary took a deep breath. "Kayla wants to go to the museum… with you. I wouldn't bother you on your day off except that she doesn't usually ask for anything. Do you think you'd be able to spend a few hours with us today?"

"Of course," he replied, immediately. "What do you say I pick you guys up in two hours?"

"Sounds good," Mary said, a bit surprised at his eagerness. She quickly hung up the phone and padded down the hall to find Kayla. Kayla was sitting on her bed, brushing her doll's hair. "Guess what, Sprout? I just talked to Uncle Marshall and he is going to be here in a few hours to take us to the museum."

Kayla's eyes lit up. "Really? Really, really?" She laughed when Mary nodded and jumped out of bed, throwing her arms around Mary. "Thank you, Aunt Mary! Thank you! Thank you! Uncle Marshall is the bestest guy in the whole world, isn't he?"

Mary grinned as the young girl's jubilance was contagious. "He really is."

**QUOTE PROMPT #119 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"_If I ask you to change too many things about yourself, you're not going to be the man I fell in love with."_

"Mary?" Marshall called out, walking into the kitchen. "What are you doing?"

Mary huffed. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm cooking."

Marshall frowned. "You don't cook."

"Your entire family is coming over here for the first time," she told him.

"And?"

Mary shot him an exasperated look. "And I don't want them to think I can't cook for my family. I have spent years listening to your tales about your mother's home cooked meals."

Marshall grimaced. He had to refrain from smacking his own forehead as he realized that Mary had been comparing herself to the idolized stories of his mother that he had told her. Marshall grabbed her hands to stop her from stirring. "Mary. You don't have to impress my mother and really don't have to impress the rest of my family."

"But-"

"No, listen. My mother won't care whether or not you cook. She made dinner because she liked to do it. The only thing that my mother cares about is whether or not you love me." He kissed her lips lightly. "And you do that very well."

Mary smiled, faintly. "You want me to stop cooking?"

Marshall nodded. "I think it would be safest for everyone."

"How do you think your mother would feel if I gave you fat lip?"

**QUOTE PROMPT #120 – MARSHALL/MARK**

_"I think, in her heart, she forgave me for what happened to our kid. She just... couldn't forget."_

"Hey, Marshall," Mark said as the inspector met him at the airport gate.

"Mark," he replied, evenly. "How was the flight?"

Mark shrugged. "It was okay. I can't really complain. So, is it just you this time? No Mary or Norah?"

Marshall nodded, grabbing Mark's carry-on bag. "Mary thought it would be easier if you saw Norah at the house where things are a bit calmer. Jinx has taken the boys for the afternoon so you'll have her all to yourself."

"Her and Mary and you, you mean," Mark clarified. "Mary's not going to let Norah out of her sight while I'm around."

"Mary is just a little uncomfortable-"

Mark held up his hand to stop Marshall's explanation. "Look, I get it. I screwed up. I let Norah get. hurt on my watch. I just wish she could remember all the times that I didn't screw up."

Marshall frowned. "Just play by her rules for a little while longer and she'll come around."

"You really believe that?" Mark asked.

"I believe it's possible," Marshall admitted. "I think it would help if you came to visit more often. Six months is a long time to a three-year-old."

Mark scowled. "It's hard... to be here; to know that I screwed up and let my kid get hurt. It's hard to see just how happy she is with you filling the role as her father. Norah and I used to be so close, but the day that she shrunk away from me to cling to you, a part of me died."

Marshall clapped his shoulder, sympathetically. "You're still her father, Mark. She can love us both. We'll work through it."

"Sure," Mark replied, though he didn't really put any faith in Marshall's words. "Come on. I'm looking forward to seeing Norah."


	41. Chapter 41

_Author's Note: Special thanks to **JMS529**, **JJ2008**, **BrittanyLS**, and **Jayne Leigh** for the reviews! In case you've missed it, I've started a new IPS fic called "Fitting in the Pieces." I hope you check it out!_

**QUOTE PROMPT #121 – RAPH/BRANDI**

"_I didn't want to say anything before because I didn't want you to see me as a different person. Or in a different light. But maybe that's what's happened. Things... Things have been illuminated, and everything has changed."_

"You should have just told me."

"Told you what? That I love you? That I'm in love with you and have been for a long time?" Brandi shook her head. "We're not those kinds of people."

Raph frowned. "Things might have been different. I might-"

She interrupted. "Might have what? Left your wife? And what about Mary? Do you think she would have been okay with all of this? No, I couldn't tell you."

"Why are you telling me this now?"

"Because you moved back to town. Because for some reason you and Victoria have decided to strike up a friendship with Mary and Marshall." Brandi took a deep breath. "Because I have something else to confess to you and I don't want you to think that what happened was because of the alcohol. It wasn't."

Raph scratched his head. "What is it?"

She bit her bottom lip. "After that night... the one in Miami... I got pregnant."

"Mine?" Raph's eyes grew wide. "You got pregnant with my child?"

"Yeah," Brandi confirmed, "and I had a beautiful little girl. She is the light of my life and she looks so much like you. I don't know how Mary hasn't figured it out yet."

He stepped forward. "I want to meet her. I want to get to know her."

Brandi shook her head. "You can't. At least, you can't get to know her as anything other than Mary's niece. You love your wife. You're going to have a baby with her. I don't want to hurt anyone else. This is the way it has to be."

Raph opened his mouth to protest, only to close it again. Brandi was right; he had no intention on leaving his wife and this would just tear her apart. It might have been different if Brandi had said something when they had slept together. He and Victoria were going through so many problems then.

"You're right," Raph agreed, finally. "It's the way it has to be."

**QUOTE PROMPT #122 - ABIGAIL**

"_The one true one, or the one you don't mind living with until something better comes along?"_

Abigail awoke for the tenth or maybe eleventh night in a row. She was beginning to lose count. She wondered if he had any idea that he cried in his sleep. Judging by his sunny disposition in the morning, she didn't think so. Still, his crying woke her every night.

It would be one thing if she didn't know what he was crying about; she could pass it off as stress. No, his reason for crying appeared on his lips nightly. Mary. He cried for his former partner nightly. What the dreams entailed, she could only guess.

She began to watch for anything out of the ordinary, but found none. Marshall got up, when to work, and came home to her nightly. The only phone calls that he received involved work. Whenever she stopped by the WitSec office, he and Mary were pleasant, but all business. He had no unexplained time away from, no hidden phone calls, or secrets.

And it somehow made her feel worse than before Mary and Marshall had scaled back their friendship.

Because he cried for Mary every night.

Abigail practice a speech in her head, near constantly now. She would sit him down in the kitchen or maybe the living room. Her voice would be cool, calm, and collected as she told him that things weren't working out; that he didn't love her like he loved someone else. That he may not be there for Mary at four in the morning, but it was clear to her that he wanted to be. She would tell him that she deserved to be more than someone's second choice and that she hoped that one day he would find what he was looking for.

Yet, every day, when he kissed her right temple in hello, she lost her nerve.

And every night when he cried out again for Mary, she wondered if her life would always be this way.

**QUOTE PROMPT #123 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"_There's all kinds of milestones in life. The kind you expect to live through - first kiss, birthdays, graduations, if you're lucky, a wedding or two, or even a new addition to the family. Then there's the kind you never dreamed you'd get to live through again. And that's the best kind of all."_

Mary opened her eyes as the smell of bacon filled her nose. It was an odor that had become familiar over the last month of Saturdays. Mary rubbed her eyes as she stumbled into the bathroom. It occurred to her, as it had last Saturday that she should tell Marshall to stop coming over before she and Norah got used to it, but it felt too good to have him back as her friend.

Stopping by Norah's room out of habit, she was unsurprised to find it empty. She was equally unsurprised to find the toddler sitting on the counter "helping" her uncle Marshall. Mary kissed her head before standing on the other side of Marshall.

"Did you make blueberry pancakes?" Mary asked him.

Marshall shook his head. "Her royal majesty wanted banana."

Mary rolled her eyes exaggeratedly, making Norah giggle. "Bug, we have to talk about your pancake choices." Mary turned her attention back to Marshall. "What time did you get here?"

"Ummm," Marshall hesitated answering by concentrating on the bacon he was cooking. "I think about six-thirty. I cleaned your pool so it's all ready for swimming later."

"Marshall, we really have to talk about this," Mary sighed.

He put down the fork in his hand. "You want me to stop coming over."

Mary cringed inwardly. "It's not that. It's just... what happens when Abigail comes back to town? Norah's already getting attached to these Saturdays and -"

"She's not coming back," Marshall interrupted. "I asked her for a divorce two weeks ago."

"You what?"

Marshall turned the stove off and put Norah on the ground. He watched with some amusement as she stood right at their feet, watching the adults intensely. "Mary, I have felt more at home here these last few Saturdays than I have felt anywhere else. Ever. I want to continue to have these Saturdays for as long as you'll let me. Unless you don't want me to keep coming?"

Mary took a deep breath to calm her excitement. "Are you kidding? You make me breakfast every Saturday. Why wouldn't I want you to keep coming?" She kissed his cheek quickly before snatching Norah up. "Come on, Bug. Let's go wash your hands."

"Hey, Mare!" Marshall called after her. "How do you feel about Sunday brunch?"


	42. Chapter 42

Author's Note: Special thanks to **JJ2008**, **BrittanyLS**, and **thena-ditey** for the reviews! And to **BravoExpressions** for continuing to work through these! It's my birthday today so I thought I would give you all another chapter!

**QUOTE PROMPT #124 – MARY/MARSHALL**

_"You know maybe I'm a selfish idiot but I'm happy with what we have. I mean I like that it's just the two of us and I don't care that the rest of the world isn't involved."_

Mary sat on the porch of the beach front rental property, staring out at the waves. She had gotten the house to recover the week after Marshall had gotten married, knowing that she would want to hide away from the world. She may not be willing to admit it to anyone else, including herself, but she had lost a big piece of her heart to Marshall Mann and watching him give his away to someone else destroyed her. The isolated beach house on the Texas coast was the perfect place to recover; just her and Norah, away from the rest of the world.

"Hey, Mary? Have you seen Norah's sandals?" Marshall asked, stepping outside with the blond toddler in his arms. "We're going to run to the ice cream shop."

Okay, her, Norah, and a Marshall who had broken off his engagement the night before the wedding and run off with her and Norah.

Mary held up the aforementioned sandals. "Right here. You made her take them off on the porch so she didn't track sand in the house."

"Right, right," he muttered, taking the shoes. He frowned at the smirk on her face. "Hey, give me a break. I'm still new at all of this."

"Don't worry. You have years of practice ahead of you," she commented, airedly.

Marshall's eyes lit up. "So, this gets to be more than just a Texas vacation thing?"

Mary opened her mouth to retort, but snap her jaw shut when she realized the truth behind his fear that this was a simple fling. "You and me? I think it's kind of a forever thing. I mean, I haven't gotten rid of you yet."

He sat down beside her and kissed her lips gently. "And you never will."

**QUOTE PROMPT #125 – BRANDI/RAPH**

"_There are some feelings that refuse to go away. They're little distractions, whispering in your ear. Some things just get under your skin"_

When she first saw him in that dark night club in Miami, Brandi thought she was hallucinating. She actually put down her drink for a moment until he spotted her. Brandi fluffed up her hair and her boobs, putting a big smile on her face.

"Chico! What are you doing here?" Brandi asked him, brightly.

"Me?" he said, hugging her tightly and lingering just a bit longer than was friendly. "What are you doing in Miami?"

Brandi shrugged. "Hanging with my brother."

Raph remained close to her, even as he released her. "Again?"

"Well, you know, Albuquerque got to be too much and I needed a break," Brandi brushed off. "So, tell me, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here for working." Raph went on to tell her all about his new life. Brandi hung on every word, filling him in on her life in return. They talked into the wee hours of the night. Raph walked her to her car. "It was really good catching up with you, Brandi."

She smiled playing, touching his arm. "It was really good catching up with you, too. You know, if you want to continue to 'catch up', my apartment isn't far from here."

Raph paused, mulling over her offer. He was married, a fact that he told Brandi, but they were also separated and things weren't looking up. Finally, he cupped Brandi's cheek. "I would love to 'catch up' some more with you."

**QUOTE PROMPT #126 – MARY/MARSHALL/ABIGAIL**

"_Then I came here, and I realized that this whole time I was just wandering around everywhere just looking for you."_

"Where is he?" Mary demanded, raving to the scene of the apartment fire. It was chaos everywhere, but she managed to track down her boss' fiance.

"I-I don't know," Abigail stumbled, her eyes wide.

Mary grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "What do you mean you don't know? He was here for you! You were suppose to be protecting him!"

Abigail looked at her, dazed. "I-I-I-"

"Ugh!" Mary exclaimed, pushing her off. She sprinted towards the burning building, only to be stopped by a pair of strong hands. She screamed for her former partner. "Marshall! Marshall! Let me go!"

"Not a chance, miss," the fireman growled. "The entire structure is about to collapse."

She slumped, defeated, before rallying. Her Marshall would never give up on her and she wasn't about to give up on him. She struggled to break free again. "Marshall! Marshall!"

"Mary!" she heard a voice bellow. Mary stomped on the fireman's foot to get him to release her. She rushed past the rescue workers to Marshall. She threw her arms around him. He was covered in soot and smelled like smoke, but she burrowed as close to him as she could. When she finally spoke, her voice was quiet. "What the hell do you think you were doing?"

"There was a little boy trapped in one of the apartments," he explained, swaying slightly as he held her close.

Mary looked up at him, unable to hide the tears in her eyes. "Did you save him?"

Marshall nodded over her head to the back of an ambulance where a young boy only three or four was being checked out by both paramedics and his frantic mother. "He's safe."

"Don't ever do that to me again," Mary told him. She refused to release her grip on him. "You and Norah are the only people in my life that I can't lose. I don't care that we're not as close as we used to be. You are one of my people."

"You are one of my people, too," Marshall assured her. He buried his face in her hair. He glanced up to see his fiance standing a few feet away, watching the two of them. He inclined his head when she gave him a small smile. There would be things to sort out, conversations to be had, and wedding gifts to send back, but he knew in that moment that things were truly over with him and Abigail. Abigail turned and walked away drawing Marshall's attention back to Mary. "Come on, let's go. I really need to take a shower."


	43. Chapter 43

_Author's Note: Special thanks to **JMS529** (thank you!), **BrittanyLS**, **JJ2008**, **BravoExpressions** (yay! You caught up!), and **Jayne Leigh** for the reviews. You guys really didn't like Raph and Brandi together, did you? Given Raph's sleeping with his physical therapist while he and Mary were on a break or whatever, I never had an issue seeing Raph as a potential cheater, I guess._

**QUOTE PROMPT #127 – MARY/DELIA**

_"No, hearts don't really break. They can stop and they can leak, but they can't really break. It just-it gets tired. Gives up after a while."_

"It's not a big deal."

"Not a big deal?" Delia repeated. "Mary, this is the fourth guy that you've broken up with since Kenny."

Mary shrugged. "So?"

Delia's eyes widened. "So, it's only been seven months since then."

"Yeah, well, none of these guys are really keepers, Delia. They're just... entertainment for awhile," Mary told her. "I'm done with all that relationship crap. It doesn't get you anywhere." Her eyes flickered to Marshall's office so quickly that Delia doubted she even realized she had done it. "The only things that matter are raising my kid, keeping my sister out of trouble so that she doesn't run off on her own kid, and this job. This guys are just to blow off steam."

"But... don't you want someone there for you when things are bad and you need to talk? Or when things are good and you want to laugh? Don't you want to go to sleep in the arms of someone that you love, knowing that they'll be there in the morning?" Delia asked her.

Mary shook her head. "What I want is a really good orgasm and to go to sleep alone, in my own bed. Save all the schmoopy stuff for someone else." Mary snatched her keys. "I've got to go check on a witness. I'll be back in a few hours."

"Bye," Delia muttered, lost in thought. Her own heart ached for her partner's outlook on life. Delia had been here day after day, watching as Mary and Marshall struggled to find their way with the new parameters that he had placed on their relationship. The result was the disintegration of the strongest partnership in the service. They rarely talked anymore unless it involved work and even then, Mary often found ways to make Delia deal with their boss. Mary's personal life was becoming more of a mess with each passing day and Marshall walked around in a daze half the time.

"Hey, Delia. Everything okay?" Marshall asked, standing in the doorway of his office. "You were really lost in thought there."

Delia frowned, clearing the fog from her brain. "Do you think we could talk, chief? There's really something that I need to talk to you about."

**QUOTE PROMPT #128 - MARY**

"_You know those people who can predict when change is coming in their life? I'm not one of them. Change has a way of just walking up and punching me in the face."_

Twenty-four hours ago, she was a single mom.

Twenty-four hours ago, she only had one daughter.

Twenty-four hours ago, she was unhappy, angry, and lost.

Twenty-four hours ago, she though her best friend was lost to her forever.

Today, she was married to her best friend. She had called him in the middle of the night after her sister had dumped her niece on her and walked out. She was nearly beside herself with fear over how she was going to raise two little girls on her own.

He had walked into her house and immediately a calming affect took over. He had put both babies to bed before turning his attention to her. He let her rant and rave, cry and talk endlessly. As morning light appeared, he offered her a solution.

"Marry me."

"What?" She looked him as though he had grown a second head.

He smiled calmly. "Pack up the kids. We'll drive to Vegas, get married, and on Monday we'll file for custody of our niece."

She thought it over before shrugging. "Okay."

Twenty-four hours ago, her life was completely different. She had never embraced change as fast as she had today.

**QUOTE PROMPT #129 – MARY/BRANDI**

"_We stumble along, don't we, doing the washing, and filling the car, and making the best hash of it we can. We never get to that moment, do we? Where we go, 'Right, decision time'. Tellies flying through the air, dreams are trashed, people are falling off pedestals like skittles. This is where I take control of my free-fall life cause no one's gonna do it for us, are they?"_

Brandi did it so quietly that Mary never even noticed that it was happening, even though she usually caught on to most of the things that Brandi tried to get away with. It started with nursery. Brandi asked her all types of questions about what Mary did for Norah. Mary never noticed that Brandi followed every one of her suggestions.

In passing, Mary told her that she had briefly considered naming Norah "Elizabeth." She had forgotten the conversation by the time that Elizabeth Mary Shannon was born. The outfit that she took Elizabeth home in was the only one that Mary had bought. Brandi used the diapers that Mary used, the formula, the bottles, the pacifiers, etc.

After a few months, she began to leave Elizabeth with Mary in the evening and on the weekends. Brandi claimed she was going back to school. Within a few weeks, Brandi moved back, saying it would be easier for her to be there full time than to lug the girls back and forth between the two places. Mary began to slowly be more responsible for Elizabeth's care and Brandi sunk into the background.

Mary shouldn't have been surprised when Brandi took off. All the signs were there; the twitching, the picking fights, and of course, turning over responsibility of Elizabeth to Mary. Yet, she had missed it. Bogged down in the day to day life of her family and her witnesses, she missed the biggest thing to impact her niece's life.

But she couldn't cry like Jinx. She couldn't run away like Brandi. She couldn't bang her head off the wall, bury it in the sand, or drink her troubles away. No, she had to get up day after day and live her life. She had two little girls depending on her.


	44. Chapter 44

Author's Note: Special thanks to **JMS529** (#250!), **JJ2008**, **BravoExpressions**, and **BrittanyLS** for the reviews! Over half way to 500!

**QUOTE PROMPT #130 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"_Don't you ever wonder how long you can survive before you go mad, or get killed, or lose a loved one?"_

"Mary."

Mary's eyes fluttered opened at hearing her name. She turned her head and groaned at the pain that shot through her body. "Hey."

Marshall smiled in relief at seeing her eyes. "Welcome back."

"How long have I been out?" she croaked.

"About twenty-two hours," Marshall told her. "You have a pretty severe concussion and a broken leg. Thankfully, the bullet just grazed you. Most of the damage was from the fall over the balcony."

Mary shrugged. "Did I least get him?"

Marshall rolled his eyes. "Yeah. He's already on his way back to New York and the witness has been relocated." He glanced down at her leg. "Why did you do it, Mary? Why did you charge in their without waiting for back-up?"

"There wasn't time."

"Delia and I were less than a minute out," he continued. "You should have waited. You could have... you could have been killed. What would I have done then?"

Mary turned her head away from him. "You'd be fine."

Marshall stood so abruptly that he nearly knocked the chair over. "Fine?! You think I'd be fine?!"

"Marshall-"

"I wouldn't be fine, Mary!" he yelled. "If you die, you're taking my heart with you! My soul! Without you, I couldn't breathe! Without you, I'd rather die!"

Mary eyes drifted to the floor. In a voice he could hardly hear, she said, "Okay."

Marshall sighed. "Okay what?"

"Okay, I won't go charging into places anymore without back-up." Her voice dropped again. "And I believe that you'll be devastated if something happens to me."

"Devastated?" He moved so that he hovered over her, his hands on either side of her head. Marshall lowered his face close to hers. "You and I? We've danced around this for years and years. We've veiled it behind speeches, trailed off half-sentences, and gestures, but we've never actually confronted it head on because then, we can just pretend it isn't there." Marshall took a deep breath. "I love you, Mary. I am deeply, completely, over the hill in love with you. I have tried to move on and I can't. You don't have to do anything with this except acknowledge it. You don't have to love me back. But you have to understand that _I cannot lose you_."

Mary was unable to tear her eyes away from his intense blues. "I can't lose you either."

Marshall blinked slowly. "Why?"

"Because I'm in love with you, too, you moron."

**QUOTE PROMPT #131 - MARSHALL**

_"He's cheating off the girl who thinks the square root of four is rainbows." _

"She loves you" is what his mother told Marshall about Mary when she met him the second engagement dinner that he and Abigail threw for his family.

"She loves you" is what his father told Marshall about Mary when Marshall asked him why his father wouldn't give him his approval over his impending marriage to Abigail.

"She loves you" is what his brother told Marshall about Mary when he hesitated to agree to be Marshall's best man.

"She loves you" is what Delia told Marshall about Mary when he asked her about Mary's increasingly crass attitude around the office as his wedding day approached.

"She loves you" is what Brandi told Marshall about Mary when he found out that she had broken up with Kenny and refused to go out with anyone new.

"She loves you" is what Stan told Marshall about Mary when she didn't show up at the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding.

"She loves you" is what Jinx told Marshall about Mary when she was the one to bring Norah the flower girl to the wedding instead of Mary.

"She loves you" is what Abigail told Marshall about Mary when she wrote him a note about why she couldn't marry him.

"I love you" is what Mary told Marshall when he showed up at her house that night."

"I love you, too" is what Marshall told Mary right before he swept her off her feet.

**QUOTE PROMPT #132 – MARY/MARSHALL**

_"Life's true gift is the capacity to enjoy enjoyment."_

"Would you look at her?" Mary commented to Marshall as he sat down next to her in the backyard.

Marshall looked at his step-daughter who sat a few feet away playing with bubbles. "She looks like she's having fun."

Mary nodded. "She's been at it for almost an hour; just sitting there, blowing bubbles."

"Oh, the follies of youth."

"Do you remember being that carefree? Chasing fireflies? Playing tag? Rolling down a hill?" Mary asked him, a wistful look in her eye.

Marshall nodded. "My brothers and I used to spend hours playing catch, just about nothing and everything. It was one of my favorite things about childhood."

Mary scooched over to him, laying her head on his shoulder. "I want to keep her childhood as carefree as possible."

"Who? Norah? I think her childhood is fairly angst free. I mean, Mark and I have even become friends so there are no issues there," he said.

"Yeah, that still freaks me out, by the way," Mary told him. "But I was actually thinking about Lily. She's only two and she already makes sure that Brandi eats. The signs are there. She's going to spend her childhood worrying."

Marshall kissed the top of her head. "We can try to help keep her a kid as long as possible. I'm not sure what else we can do."

Mary bit her bottom lip. "I want to talk to Brandi about letting Lily move in with us; at least, for a little while."

"Do you think she'll go for that?" Marshall asked. He was unsurprised when Mary shrugged. "It might be one heck of a battle."

"I know. I might have to compromise and ask her to move in here, too." Mary stiffened. "Are you okay with that?"

Marshall cupped her face and nodded. "She's my family, too, and if both Brandi and Lily moving is here is what it'll take to give Lily her childhood, then I'm more than okay with it."

Mary closed her eyes briefly and smiled. "Thank you."

"Marshall!" Norah exclaimed, just realizing that he had arrived home. "Come play 'Ring Around the Rosie' with me!"

"Gotta go. I'm being summoned." Marshall gave his wife one more kiss before running off to play with his step-daughter.


	45. Chapter 45

_Author's Note: Special thanks to **JMS529**, **BrittanyLS**, **Jayne Leigh**, **JJ2008**, and** thena-ditey** for the reviews!_

**QUOTE PROMPT #133 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"_There's no-one like you. We've all got something that no-one else has got. Follow your dream and don't let the bastards grind you down."_

Mary was sure that he didn't even realize that he was doing it. They were sitting on her couch watching a documentary on World War Two after a long day out with her daughter and niece. They had started out on opposites ends of the couch, but had slowly come together in the middle to where she was leaning into him.

And he was playing with her hair.

And it was driving her crazy.

And making her incredibly horny.

"Marshall," she said, softly, shifting to relieve some of the pressure between her legs.

"Yeah?" He turned his head towards her. His eyes widened as he took in her flushed skin.

Mary licked her lips involuntarily. "I- I want to thank you for coming with the girls and me today. They really had a lot of fun with you."

Marshall moved closer to her. "I really had a lot of fun with them, too. Thank you for inviting me."

"If you're interested, I was going to take the girls to the farmers' market tomorrow," she offered.

"You know, you have to be there by seven if you want to get the really good fruit," he told her.

Mary nodded. "If you want, you could just spend the night."

Marshall took a shaky breath. "I'm not sure I'll fit on your couch, Mare."

"I wasn't thinking about the couch, Marshall," she countered.

"I'm going to kiss you now," Marshall whispered.

She nodded, but pulled away as soon as his lips grazed hers. "Are you sure about this? I mean, I come with a lot of baggage. Besides the kids, there's my mother and my commitment issues, and well, my personality. I'm not exactly a dream."

Marshall slid his hand up her neck and into her hair. "You are _exactly_ my dream."

"You are insane."

"Only for you," he muttered before capturing her lips. She opened immediately to him and their tongues began to battle for dominance.

Mary pushed him away, breathing heavily. "Whoa."

Marshall blinked rapidly. "Whoa."

"That..."

"Yeah," he agreed when her voice trailed off.

Mary jumped up suddenly and pulled him from the couch. "Come on. Let's go."

Marshall laughed. "What's your hurry?"

"You."

**QUOTE PROMPT #134 - BRANDI**

"_I want to be a comfort to my friends in tragedy and I want to be able to celebrate with them in triumph and for all the times in between I just want to be able to look them in the eye."_

"What's your family like?"

It was a question that Brandi was beginning to dread and a question that inevitably came up whether she was dating, working, or making friends. It wasn't that she was ashamed of her family. Okay, the deceased outlaw father with a second family didn't exactly have her singing aloud, but the rest of her family had become rather respectable.

No, it was Brandi herself that was the black sheep of the family. She had run away after her failed wedding to Peter and she had run away again after her son was born. Running away, it seemed, was the only way she knew how to handle things. She was more like her father than she wanted to admit.

The first few times that she was asked the question, she admitted the truth: that she had left her son with her sister to raise while she had gone off in the world. The reaction she got ranged from confusion to outright disgust. Almost no one took the time to listen to her reasons. Of course, she didn't quite know what her reasons were either so maybe it was for the best that they didn't. Brandi learned to keep her mouth shut.

"What's your family like?"

"They're great."

**QUOTE PROMPT #135 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"_It's one of the most amazing experiences, finding something to write about or realizing something for the first time. It comes out of nowhere and it just hits you and it's all you can think about and it's goes through your body and tries to escape and be expressed in anyway possible."_

"What are you doing?" Marshall asked Mary, leaning over her back. He kissed her naked shoulder.

"Nuh-nothing!" she replied, hastily, shoving the items in her hands under the pillow.

Marshall stroked her arm. "It kind of looked like something."

Mary turned over, exposing her breasts. She grinned when he zeroed in on her pert nipples. "Nope."

"Are you sure?" Marshall's hands roamed up and down her stomach and around her breasts. He leaned down as if he was going to kiss her only to divert at the last minute and reach under her pillow. "Aha!"

"Give it back!" Mary ordered, reaching for the book.

Marshall studied the object in his hand. "What is this? Is this a journal?"

Mary glared at him. "So, what if it is?"

"I just never pictured you as the journal-ing type," he replied, handing her back the book. He looked down at her when she didn't say anything. "Not that it's a bad thing. I think it's nice."

"Nice?" she huffed.

Marshall nodded, never wavering. "Yes, nice. So. Am I in there?"

Mary shrugged. "Maybe. Don't go snooping to find out."

"Mary." He took a deep breath and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "I would never invade your privacy like that. I think it's a good thing that you have some place to write, to sort out, your thoughts. I just wish you would have told me."

"I-" Mary paused. "I started it not long after my left. I wanted to send him letters, but since I didn't know where to send them, I started a journal. I've been writing in one ever since."

Marshall did kiss her this time. "Thank you for telling me this. I'm glad you trust me enough with that."


	46. Chapter 46

_Author's Note: Special thanks to **JMS529**, **JJ2008**, **thena-ditey**, and **Jayne Leigh** for the reviews!_

**QUOTE PROMPT #136 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"_Look. I appreciate you trying to be his friend. I just don't want things to get weird. You're a good guy, I'm sure."_

"What are you doing here?"

Marshall looked up from his position on the floor where he was playing cars with Mary's nephew. He frowned at the tense look on her face. "Brandi asked me to baby-sit Evan for a few hours while she ran a few errands."

Mary tossed her bag and coat onto the couch. "Why? Joanna would have been glad to take him along with Norah."

"I don't know. You'll have to ask her," Marshall told her.

"Yeah, well, I'm here now so you can head out," Mary all but ordered.

Evan jumped up suddenly, grabbing onto Marshall's arm. "No! No go, Marsh! No go!"

Mary picked him up when he began to cry. Evan whimpered in her ear as she soothed, "It's okay, Evan. Aunt Mary's here."

"Really, Mary. I can stay. It's not a problem," Marshall said, standing up himself.

"I don't think that's a good idea."

Marshall's face fell. "Why?"

Mary moved away from him, rubbing Evan's back. "Because Evan gets attached very easily as you can tell and I don't want his heart broken anymore than it has to."

"You think I'm going to break his heart?" Hurt overwhelmed Marshall's voice and Mary felt her heart tug.

"I think that you'll get involved in his life, that he'll come to depend on you, and then your wife will decide that you're spending too much time with him and you'll have to pull away from him. You'll still be around, but not like before, which is even worse because it won't allow his heart to heal."

Tears welled up in his eyes as he listened to her describe the emotions she had gone through over the last two and a half years. "Oh, Mary."

She shook her head, willing her own tears to stay away. "Go home, Marshall. I'm here now."

"No," he said with conviction. He stalked over to her and wrapped his arms around both Mary and Evan. "I didn't know. I didn't know. I thought we were okay. I'm not leaving Evan and I'm not leaving you. I so sorry, so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I'm not leaving you."

"What about Abigail?" Mary sniffed, nuzzling into his neck.

"Screw her," Marshall commanded. "I'm not letting her dictate my life anymore. If she can't understand your role in my life, then I don't want to know her."

Mary pulled back to look at him, her eyes red. "She's your wife."

"Because someone else didn't want to be," he whispered, honestly.

"Maybe she did," Mary admitted, her own tone hushed, "but she just didn't know how to be."

Marshall placed a gentle kiss on her lips, one that could still be called friendly. "We have a lot to talk about."

Mary shook her head. "You have a lot to figure out, but in the meantime, if you want to go back to being my friend, if you want to hang out with Evan, well, I guess that's okay."

**QUOTE PROMPT #137 – MARSHALL/ABIGAIL**

"_Even heroes are human."_

"How could you do it?" Abigail asked him as he walked into the door. She was sitting on the couch, twirling her engagement ring around her finger.

For half a second he considered playing dumb, but he knew he owed her more than that. "It wasn't intentional."

Abigail slammed her hand on the coffee table. "So what? You slipped and fell into her over and over again?"

"It was one time. I screwed up," Marshall admitted. "We had just survived a gun fight and there was alcohol and adrenaline... I wasn't thinking clearly."

"I don't want you to see her anymore," she demanded.

Marshall took a deep breath. "I work with her. She's my best friend. I have to see her."

Abigail stood suddenly. "Find a new job! Find a new best friend! You can't expect me to trust you with her, not after this." She covered her mouth with her hand when we went silent. "You won't do it, will you? I am your fiance and I am telling you that I am not comfortable with you being around her."

"Abby..."

"I should have known," she whispered. She took her ring off and handed it to him. "I'll pack up my things and be out of here."

Marshall shook his head. "You should keep the house."

Abigail let out a mirthless chuckle. "I don't want it. I don't want anything that will remind me of you."

"How did you know?" he asked after her as she headed upstairs.

"I ran into Mary at the grocery store. The guilt was written all over her face."

Marshall nodded. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry."

Abigail shrugged. "It's not worth very much at all."

**QUOTE PROMPT #138 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"_You're good at building things, I'm good at blowing them up."_

"How do you want to do this?" Mary asked her partner, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"I think we should talk to her," Marshall replied, evenly.

Mary huffed. "Yeah, right, 'cause that worked out so well the first time. If she had listened to either of us, we wouldn't be in this situation now!"

Marshall shook his head. "She's scared. If we go in with two guns blazing, we're going to spook her. Who knows how she'll react then?"

"What's your suggestion, then?" she demanded.

"Good cop, bad cop," Marshall told her, unable to suppress his grin completely.

Mary felt the ends of her own lips curl upward. "I get to be bad cop."

Marshall rolled his eyes. "Of course, dear."

"Norah Elizabeth Shannon, get your butt in here right!" Mary yelled.

"We could have talked strategy first," he muttered.

Norah shuffled into the kitchen, her head down. "Yeah, Mom?"

Mary put her hands on her hips. "Don't 'yeah, Mom' me. So, I got a call from your teacher, again. Do you want to explain to me why you got in trouble for talking again? So much so that your teacher had to send you to the principal's office?"

"I'm sorry, Mom," Norah replied.

"Not gonna cut it this time, Bug," Mary countered. "You're in big trouble."

Marshall knelt down in front of Norah. "Do you want to tell us why you keep talking in class? You can tell us."

Norah sighed, miserably. "I'm bored."

"In class?" he clarified. Norah nodded. "Is it because of the teacher? Is she boring?"

"No." Norah shook her head. "I already know everything that she's teaching."

Marshall looked up at Mary, surprise in both their eyes. He turned back to Norah. "We're going to call your teacher on Monday to see what we can do to challenge you more."

Mary tap the top of her head. "But you're still grounded for the weekend. That means no TV and no playing outside."

"Okay," Norah pouted. She turned and flounced away.

"See, if we had gone in blazing, we never would have learned that," Marshall said smugly. Rolling her eyes, Mary pushed him over and walked away.


	47. Chapter 47

Author's note: Special thanks to **MegManning** (thank you!), **JMS529**, **BrittanyLS**, and **JJ2008** for the reviews!

**QUOTE PROMPT #139 – MARY/BRANDI**

"_And you say that I've changed. And you're right. But, I mean, I went kicking and screaming. And if you think that anything of any value in this world comes at an easier price, you're wrong."_

Brandi walked into the darkened living room to find Mary sitting on the couch, staring out of the window. Brandi sat down on the other end of the couch. "Everything okay?"

Mary tore her eyes away from the window to look at her sister. "Everything's fine. I just couldn't sleep. Why are you up?"

"I just got done feeding Jaxon. I was going to grab a drink from the kitchen when I saw you sitting here." Brandi was quiet for a few moments. "Are you sure everything's okay? It's not like you to sit here in the dark."

"I just have a lot of things on my mind," Mary explained.

Brandi took a deep breath. "You've been different since you went away on vacation. You've been quieter, more withdrawn. Did something happen?"

Mary hesitated. "I didn't go on vacation alone."

"Who did you go with?" Brandi asked, shocked. The last she had heard, it was just Mary and Norah on vacation.

"Marshall," she admitted in a hushed tone.

Brandi's eyes grew wide. "That's where he disappeared to after wedding? No one had any idea!"

Mary shrugged. "He needed a place to go, to recover after Abigail dumped him so I invited him to come with us."

"Did something go wrong? Did you not have fun?"

"Nothing went wrong," Mary told her. "We had a wonderful, amazing week."

Brandi tilted her head in confusion. "I don't understand why that makes you sad."

Mary gave her a sad smile. "I'm not suppose to have that good of a time, not with Marshall. I'm not suppose to have these... feelings that are other than friendship. I'm not suppose to miss him when I come home, to wonder what it would be like to wake up in his arms."

"Why not?" Brandi asked, frankly. "Why aren't you suppose to fall in love with Marshall?" Brandi sighed when Mary just shrugged. "Mary, do you know what the hardest thing in my life has been? It's realizing that I deserve to love and be loved. It took me a long time to realize it and I had done it sooner, I may not have hurt Peter as badly as I did. But I deserve to be loved and so do you, and even if you can't believe that right now, fake it for Norah until you do."

"I think about it," Mary said, her walls closing up now that she had said too much.

Brandi patted Mary's arm as she stood. "I'm going to get some sleep before Jaxon's next feeding. Just think about what I said."

Mary nodded while Brandi headed back to her bedroom. She resumed her staring out the window. Brandi's thoughts now entered the hurricane of her mind. It was going to be a long night.

**QUOTE PROMPT #140 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"_I'd be funny and you'd have a good time. And when I took you home at like 3am, and I tried to kiss you goodnight, and I think I'd be successful. In fact, I know it. And I can't believe none of that's ever gonna happen 'cause once there was a time you married an idiot"_

"Why are you doing this?" Mary asked him, sniffing.

His arms tightened around her as he replied, "You know why."

Mary shook her head, her nose buried in his neck. "You shouldn't. You should go marry her, have a nice life."

"I don't want that," Marshall said, his voice hoarse. He kissed the top of her ear. "I only want you. And I know you think you have all this baggage and I know you think you're bad at relationships, but you're not. As long as you stick with me, we'll make it."

"You can't promise me that." Mary tried to pull away from him, but he wouldn't let her go.

Marshall tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "Do you trust me?" She hesitated before nodding. "Then trust that we'll make it. Trust that I will treat you better than all the guys from your past. Trust that I know you better than anyone else on this Earth. Trust me with your heart."

Mary licked her lips. "I'll trust you."

**QUOTE PROMPT #141 – MARY/MARSHALL/NORAH**

"_You can't rewrite history. Not one line."_

"Your mom kissed me first," Marshall told Norah.

Norah turned to her mother, her mouth hung open. "Mama, you kissed Marshall first? You?"

Mary frowned. "I did not. Don't fill her head with stories. You were the one that kissed me first. We were out celebrating your liberation from Abigail-"

"-commiserating that she dumped me by hooking up with your sister-" Marshall corrected.

"-and you made me do shots of tequila-"

Marshall rolled his eyes. "You ordered the shots of _whiskey_."

Norah pulled on Marshall's arm. "What's tequila?"

"A very bad drink for adults," he told her.

"You went to stand to go the bathroom and 'fell' into me," Mary continued.

Marshall sighed. "I was pushed into you by the rowdy frat guys."

Mary shook her head. "And you leaned down in kissed me."

"That part is true," Marshall admitted. "I figured life couldn't get much worse so I might as well go for it."

"So, then, why are you telling our kid that I kissed you first?" she demanded.

Marshall smirked. "Because on June 15, 2008, in a smelly barn, you kissed me first under the guise of smearing lipstick."

Mary opened and closed her mouth several times. "That doesn't count! We were with a, um, on a case!"

"It was at that moment that I knew I was yours," he said with a shrug. Marshall shot her a sheepish grin.

Taking a deep breath, Mary turned to Norah. "Yep, Bug, I kissed Marshall first."


	48. Chapter 48

_Author's Note: Special thanks to **JMS529**, **BrittanyLS**, **JJ2008**, and **BravoExpressions** (I'm not sure I agree about the intimate scenes, but thank you!) for the reviews!_

**QUOTE PROMPT #142 - MARY**

_"Because sometimes, you have to step outside of the person you've been, and remember the person you were meant to be. The person you wanted to be. The person you are."_

Mary had no idea how she had gotten here. She was sitting at home on a Saturday night waiting for a phone call, her daughter at her father's house. She had made plans with Kenny for two hours ago, but so far, he hadn't shown up. This was not the first time that he had blown her off and she was sure that it wasn't going to be the last.

She had never been the girl to wait around for anyone, let alone a fuck buddy that she had convinced was more. How had she reached this point? Part of her wanted to blame her father's death. That was, after all, when she decided to make Kenny a more permanent part of her life. She supposed that she could just flat out blame her father, but she had always believed in adults taking responsibility for their own actions.

And that was the kicker, she thought to herself. The reason she was in this current predicament was because of her own fears; fears that she wasn't good enough; fears that she would push him away. No, the reason that she sat alone on her couch instead of out grabbing life or spend it in the arms of the one man that ever truly loved her.

But Mary was stubborn and fear ruled her life. When she nearly lost him all those years ago in the desert, she panicked, rushing back to Raph. That set off a series of events that landed her here. The happier and more settled into his life that Marshall became, the more unsettled in her own life that Mary seemed to be, not that she would admit it to anyone.

She wanted to go back to that day in the desert and confess her feelings for her best friend. She wanted to go back and not avoid him while he was in the hospital and home recuperating. She wanted to ignore Raph's phone call when he needed a place to recover from his knee injury. She wanted to take back all of the little things that pushed Marshall away from her and into Abigail's arms and left her hanging onto a guy that was never suppose to be more than a one night stand.

Mary glanced down when her phone rang. It was Kenny, finally. Wiping away a single tear, she hit ignore. She stood up and grabbed her keys. She wasn't sure exactly where she was going, but she wasn't going to wait around for him anymore. It was time to take back her life and overcome her fears.

**QUOTE PROMPT #143 – MARY/BRANDI/MARSHALL**

"_Shouldn't we hold out for the person who doesn't just tolerate our little quirks, but actually kinda likes them?"_

"What was wrong with John?" Mary asked her sister, grabbing a cup of coffee in the kitchen. "He seemed like a nice guy. His background checked out."

"I don't know," Brandi grumbled, fussy over the baby in the carrier. "He didn't really get my jokes."

Mary huffed. "Nobody gets your jokes."

Brandi frowned. "Peter did. I just kept picturing the three of us in five year: John, Allie, and me. We would be sitting around at the breakfast table and both John and Allie would be sitting there, stone-faced, looking at me like I was crazy. I just don't think I could go through life with someone that doesn't get me."

"Yeah," Mary agreed, looking off into the distance.

"Kenny gets you right?"

Mary cringed. "Oh, Squish. Kenny and I broke up."

Brandi cocked her head to the side. "But I thought I heard you last-"

"Mare, have you seen my watch?" Marshall asked, buttoning up his shirt as he wandered into the kitchen. He said a quick hello to Brandi and wiggled his fingers at the baby.

"What am I? Your keeper?" she growled at him in response.

Marshall grinned, pulling her into his arms and giving her a hot kiss. "Nope. That's my job."

Mary laughed, slapping his butt when he released her. "Check under the bed. I think we kicked a few things under there." He saluted her, causing her to laugh even harder. Mary turned back to Brandi. "You're right. You definitely need someone who gets you."

**QUOTE PROMPT #144 – MARY/MARSHALL/DELIA**

"_You fought the good fight, tomorrow you'll fight another one."_

Mary knocked on the door of Marshall's office. She jerked her head towards the balcony when he looked up. "We have a bit of a situation."

Marshall sighed and nodded, rising from his chair. He followed Mary to where Delia stood, staring at the sunset. "You did good today, Delia."

"I lost a witness," she replied, not looking at him.

"You didn't lose him. It was his own arrogance that got him killed. He thought he could get back into the Guidace family, but he couldn't. You did everything you could for him," Marshall assured her.

Delia looked at the two of them, a lost expression in her eyes. "How do you do this? How do you get up the next day and keep on trekking through? How does the guilt not just eat you up?"

Mary shrugged, glancing at Marshall. "You just do it. You have to focus on all the witnesses that you got through the day. You have to learn that you can't save them all, but that doesn't mean you don't try."

"Mary's right," Marshall agreed. "You have to focus on all the good things that you're doing here."

"In the meantime," Mary offered, "why don't you let us take you out for some drinks?"

Delia chewed on the inside of her mouth. "Don't you have to get home to Norah?"

Marshall shook his head. "Nope. She's with Mark for the night. Come on. There's a few rounds of whiskey waiting for us at Murray's."

Delia followed the two of them back inside, smiling faintly at their banter. Tomorrow was another day and she would be ready for that fight.


	49. Chapter 49

Author's Note: Special thanks to **JMS529**, **BrittanyLS**, **JJ2008**, and **Jayne Leigh** for the reviews!

**QUOTE PROMPT #145 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"_What isn't worth remembering? With good memories come bad memories and I've got a lot of both."_

"And your uncle Will got in so much trouble that he never went down to that creek again," Marshall finished explaining.

Norah laughed. Marshall had spent the last hour telling her and Maria all about his childhood with his brothers. "What about you, Mom? What funny stories do you have about you and Aunt Brandi?"

Mary scowled. "I don't have any funny stories."

"Don't even one?" Norah questioned.

"Was my, my mom funny?" Maria asked, quietly.

Marshall shifted, knowing that Mary didn't like to talk about her childhood. "Did I ever tell you guys about the time that Uncle Barry talked Uncle Will into jumping off of the porch?"

Norah frowned. "I want to hear about Mom's childhood. Please, Mom?"

"Please, Mom?" Maria echoed.

"Girls, why-"

Mary interrupted him. "It's okay. You have to take the good with the bad, right? Isn't that one of those crazy things that you're always telling me?" Marshall nodded, slowly, pride filling his eyes. "Okay, let me tell you about the time that Aunt Brandi decided she wanted to be a superhero and made me make her a cape out of an old blanket..."

**QUOTE PROMPT #146 – MARY/MARSHALL (SLIGHT SPICE WARNING)**

"_Think dangerous. Think something you can only half-see, like a glimpse, like something out of the corner of your eye."_

Mary popped one eye opened. It was still dark out. She felt as though something was out of place, but she wasn't sure just what. Mary held her breath, listening for any sounds, but the entire house was quiet. She moved to turn over, but caught a shadow in the corner. Her heart began to thump in her chest as adrenaline pumped through her veins. She had just decided on a strategy when the shadow pounced, pinning her to the bed.

"You're lucky you didn't get a knee to the groin," Mary told him as he suckled on her neck.

Marshall stopped long enough to tell her, "I think that would hurt you more than it would Me at this point."

"Don't be so sure about that, slave boy," she replied, glaring at him. "What were you doing, stalking about in the dark?"

"I went to the bathroom. On the way back, the sheet slipped from your hips, revealing your backside," Marshall reminisced. "It was mesmerizing."

Mary chuckled. "I always thought you liked my front more than my back."

Marshall pressed into her, letting her feel his hardness. "There isn't a single part of you that I don't like, from the top of your head to the bottom of your toes."

"Still, it's dangerous to go hiding in the middle of the night." With that, she tipped him, rolling until he was underneath her. "You never know when the tables will turn."

"I-" He gasped as she settled over him. "I do so love those tables, though."

**QUOTE PROMPT #147 – BRANDI**

"_A high school boyfriend isn't a husband; he's an obstacle."_

"He's married. I can see the ring from here."

"So?" Brandi turned from the man at the bar to look at her friend, Angela. "Marriage is just a state of mind."

Angela cackled. "You are crazy! There is no way that that guy is going to give you the time of day."

Brandi adjusted her breasts inside her bra. "Sure, he will. I know him."

"You know him?"

"Yep," Brandi confirmed. "He used to hang out with my sister." Brandi glanced her when Angela went silent. "You want to bet on it?"

Angela studied the man at the bar. "You're on. If you can get that man to leave the bar with you and hook up, then I'll watch your kid next weekend. If he turns you down, you've got mine next weekend. But I need proof, underwear or pictures or something."

Brandi shook her hand. "Deal." She fluffed up her hair, blowing Angela a kiss as she walked towards the bar.

Angela groaned when not even twenty minutes later, Brandi sashayed with the man out the door, her arm around his waist and his hand firmly on her behind.


	50. Chapter 50

Author's Note: Special thanks to **JMS529**, **JJ2008**, **Jayne Leigh**, and **BrittanyLS** for the reviews! #149 is sort of an unofficial companion to "Fitting in the Pieces."

**QUOTE PROMPT #148 - MARSHALL**

"_What grade do we stop believing in ourselves? What grade do we stop believing period."_

Marshall stood at the end of the aisle, watching as his bride came slowly towards him, her arm linked with her father's. She looked beautiful. At least, he thought she looked beautiful. He was having a hard time concentrating. His nerves were playing havoc on his stomach and the stressed appeared to be affecting his brains.

Every time he looked at Abigail walking down the aisle, he saw Mary instead.

But not Mary as she was today, standing in the front row, decked out in a green sundress, holding Norah in her arms.

No, he kept seeing a seven-year-old Mary in pigtails, the way she looked in pictures that he saw of her. Her green eyes were sad and her posture was defeated. Marshall searched his brain for why he would be seeing Mary at this age when his fiance was walking down the aisle. Abigail had nearly reached the end when it hit him like a ton of bricks.

He was seeing Mary at age seven because that was the last time the man that was more important to her than anything had abandoned her.

And he was about to do the same.

Sure, they would stay friends for a little while, but that would fade as his marriage and family asserted its rightful dominance. Eventually, she would move from Albuquerque WitSec or he would. There would be Christmas cards and maybe a phone call here or there, but that, too, would fizzle out.

The idea of life without Mary was shredding his heart.

He had no idea what hell it would be like to actually live without her.

That was the crutch of the situation, though, wasn't it? He could not, he would not, live without Mary. She had his heart and always would. He had convinced himself that he could move on. He let his heart believe it to be true. But that wasn't fair, not to Abigail, not him, and not to Mary.

"Abigail," he whispered when she reached him, "we need to talk."

"I know."

**QUOTE PROMPT #149 - BRANDI**

"_In a thousand years time, you won't remember me."_

Brandi took a deep breath before entering the nursery. She could hear her baby girl cooing as she entered and picked her up from the crib. Brandi sat down on the rocking chair, cradling the tiny infant in her arms.

"I don't really know how to tell you this," Brandi started, feeling foolish for talking to a three-month-old, "but I'm leaving. I know, I know. It makes me a horrible mother. I am a horrible mother, but you already know this, don't you? It's why you're almost never calm for me and calm for Grandma and Aunt Mary."

"Aunt Mary," Brandi repeated with a sigh. "I'm leaving you with Aunt Mary. She's a good mom. You know, it's funny. When we were kids, I was the one that always talked about having kids and she was always the one that didn't want them. Now, she's the one with all the maternal instinct. I guess that shouldn't really be a surprise since she raised me.

"You shouldn't hold that against her, though. She did the best she could, but she was just a kid, too. And I have too much of my mother in me; my father, too, it appears." Brandi was unable to stop the tears welling up in her eyes from falling. "I'm sorry for running away, I really am. I just don't know how to do this and I am so afraid that if I stay, I'll screw you up. I just want you to know, even if you don't remember this, that I am doing the best thing for you. I am giving you to the best mother that I know. This is my gift to you."

Brandi kissed the baby's head. She rose and placed her back into her crib. Teagan yawned before falling asleep. Shaking her head, Brandi wiped her tears away. She made her way quietly out of the room. She glanced over the letter she left on the kitchen counter one final time, then grabbed her duffle bag. With her head hung low, she took off into the night.

**QUOTE PROMPT #150 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"_Wow. I can't believe you just delivered that line with a straight face."_

"Marshall? What are we doing here?" Mary asked, glancing at the courthouse that he had parked in front of.

"You and I are here to get married," he replied, calmly, unbuckling his seatbelt. He gestured to the kids in the back. "These guys are here to be witnesses. So are Stan and Delia since, you know, neither of these two can write yet."

Mary jumped out of the car when Marshall did. "Are you insane?"

He smiled, slyly. "I'll have you know that I passed my last psych evaluation with flying colors."

"That's because Finkel's always had a crush on you," she muttered. Mary rolled her eyes at the smirk on his face. "What makes you think that I'm going to agree to this?"

"Two things," Marshall held up a finger, "one, you have run screaming from her, and two, you love me."

Mary pulled her niece from her car seat. "Did it occur to you that I'm not running because you drove here? And that it's hard to run with a kid on each hip?" She had to bite her lip to stop from laughing at the startled look on Marshall's face. "What made you decide to do this today?"

He shrugged, but Mary could see the tension in his eyes. "Because you're ready."

"Because I'm ready," she repeated. "What else you got?"

"How about because I love you? Because I can't imagine another day without you? Because I want to start the rest of my life today and the rest of my life includes you and these two little girls? Because-"

Mary held up her free hand to stop him. "Okay."

Marshall ran his hand over his mouth. "Okay as in you'll marry me?"

"Yep."

"Good." Marshall grabbed Norah and rounded the car to kiss her. He looked at her sideways as they made their way up the steps. "You just agreed to get me to shut up, didn't you?"

"Yep."


	51. Chapter 51

Author's Note: Special thanks to **JMS529**, **BrittanyLS**, **Guest**, **Adelled** (and for the catch-ups), **JJ2008**, **Jayne Leigh**, and **BravoExpressions** (also for the catch-ups!) for the reviews!

**QUOTE PROMPT #151 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"_Sacrifice demands the surrender of things we cherish above all else. Only out of the agony of those losses can a new resolution be born. An undying devotion to a cause greater than oneself. And a moral duty to see a journey through to its absolute completion."_

"I don't want to give it up."

Marshall sighed, knowing this wasn't going to be an easy fight. "Mary, we have to. We have to stop this."

Mary put her hands on her hips. "It's not like we're hurting anyone."

"We're hurting!"

"I don't feel hurt. In fact," she sauntered over to him and run her hands up his chest, "I feel pretty damn good." She nipped his ear. "I think I make you feel pretty good, too."

Marshall groaned as she found the sensitive spot on his neck and latched on. He wrapped his arms around her, stuffing his hands in her back pockets. As her fingernails scrapped his scalp, Marshall rocked their bodies, gently.

"We have a rule!" Stan shouted, walking into the office.

Mary and Marshall sprung apart, guiltily, muttering, "Sorry, Stan."

Marshall turned to Mary as Stan waved them off, shrinking into his office. "See, we have to stop. No more making out during the work day. Not," he held up a figure when she opened her mouth to protest, "even at lunch time."

"Fine," she huffed, stomping over to her desk. "You just better be ready for me after the kids go to bed." Marshall's eyes widened over the implication. "And I mean daily."

**QUOTE PROMPT #152 – MARY/MARK**

"_No matter how much time goes by. No matter how hard living gets, we will remember. We will remember that it's not about how long we live, but how we live and what we leave behind."_

"How could you do it, Mark?" Mary asked. "How could you be so stupid?" She rubbed her forehead. "I thought you were doing so much better. I thought you had finally grown up."

Mary turned away, wiping tears from her cheeks. "You were actually a good father; at least, I thought you were. I'm not so sure anymore. Did you drink when Norah stayed with you? Did you ever drive in the car with her drunk?"

She turned back around. "Marshall tells me that I should trust that you didn't; that we would have caught onto it, but I'm not sure that I can believe it. You hid this pretty well from me. How am I supposed to tell our daughter when she's asks about you? How am I supposed to tell her that you died because you got rip-roaring drunk one night and decided in your infinite wisdom that driving home was a brilliant idea? How could you do that, Mark? How could you be so stupid?"

Breathing a huge sigh, her voice softened. "She misses you. Norah. We keep your picture by her bed and make sure to tell her stories about you. Joanne comes to see her every month or so; it's still too hard for her to be in Albuquerque all the time. Marshall talks about you every night when he puts her to bed. They send good thoughts into the universe for you, almost like a prayer. Can you believe that our child is doing anything close to praying?"

Mary licked her lips. "I'm going to let Norah call him 'Dad'. I don't really know how you would feel about that, but she wants to. She's already slipped and done it a few times. Marshall would be happy just being Marshall, but I can see the thrill in his eyes each time she calls him 'Daddy'. Besides, he's a good one. He's not at all threatened by your role in her life."

She released a long breath. "I'm going to go. I'm still so angry with you, but I'll be back. Marshall's going to keep making me come back until I forgive you. Guess that means I'll be coming back for a long time." Her bit of humor fell away from her lips as soon as it came. "Bye, Mark. See you soon."

**QUOTE PROMPT #153 – MARSHALL/STAN**

"_You're like the younger brother I never had. I figure someone should benefit from my experience."_

"Stan the Man!" Marshall greeted, jovially, patting the suited man on his back. "Tell me: just how happy are you right now?"

Stan was unable to keep the grin off his face. "Marshall, honestly, I am the happiest I have ever been in my life. Have I told you that we're looking into adopting? An older child, of course. I think Ellie and I are a bit old to chase a toddler around."

Marshall shot him a matching grin. "That sounds wonderful, Stan. It really does."

"What about you? When are you going to stop pussyfooting around and take the plunge yourself?" Stan looked at him expectantly.

"Abigail and I broke up," he replied, uncomfortably. "You know that."

Stan nodded. "It's not Abigail that I'm talking about." He pointed past him to where Mary was dancing with her daughter and niece in a rare moment of buoyancy.

Marshall sighed. "She doesn't feel that way about me. She never has."

"Have you asked her? I mean, asked her straight out how she feels about you?" Stan pushed.

"I, um, I... no," he admitted.

Stan clapped his shoulder. "Let me tell you something, Marshall. I almost let that beautiful woman over there walk out of my life. I did let her walk out for awhile, but thankfully, she took me back. But I was the one that had to go to her. If I had known that I could be this happy, I would have done it years ago. Don't waste anymore time."

Marshall took a deep breath. He nodded once. He gave Eleanor a smile as he passed on his way to Mary.

"So, did you give him the push?" Eleanor asked.

"Just liked we planned," Stan assured her.

Eleanor kissed him, gently. "You're a good man, Stanley McQueen."

Stan pulled her onto the dance floor. "You're not so bad yourself, Eleanor McQueen."


	52. Chapter 52

Author's Note: Special thanks to **JMS529**, **JJ2008**, **BrittanyLS**, and **Jojo** for the reviews!

**QUOTE PROMPT #154 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"_It's sort of exciting isn't it! Breaking the rules."_

"What are you doing here, Mare?" Marshall asked as she crept into his bedroom. She shrugged, but didn't really reply as she put her knee on the bed. "You were the one that wanted us to spend the night apart. Isn't this breaking the rules?"

"Screw the rules," she replied.

Marshall chuckled. "They were your rules."

Mary frowned. "Technically, they are society's rules. No seeing the bride before the wedding? Pfft. It's a dumb rule." She laid down beside him, throwing the crumbled blanket over both of them before settling on his chest, their legs intertwined. "I couldn't sleep." She paused. "And if you make one comment about that, you're going to be standing up there alone on your wedding day. Got it, buster?"

"Yes, ma'am." Drawing her closer, he slipped his hand under her shirt and stroked her milky skin with his thumb. After about a minute, Mary climbed on top of him and kissed him fiercely. Marshall muttered against her lips, "That didn't take long."

"Must be the rule breaker in me." Mary grounded against him. "It gets me all hot and bothered."

Marshall flipped her, pinning her to the bed. "In that case, I have a few more rules we could break."

**QUOTE PROMPT #155 – MARY/MARSHALL/OSCAR**

"_He died this morning, 6:04am, the sun was rising, his favorite time of day. I sent this on so you might know he was thinking of you all, and that he appreciated knowing you would remember him well."_

"Mary!" Marshall called out from the back door. "Mare, where did you go? You have to come see what the kids are doing! Mary!"

"I'm here," Mary said, softly when he reached the living room. She was sitting on the couch, clutching a piece of paper in her hands.

He sat down beside her. "What's going on?"

Mary had him the paper. "We got a letter from Abigail. Oscar died."

"What?" Marshall felt this heart thump in his chest. He had loved that dog, but had given him up to Abigail when their engagement had fallen apart three years ago.

"He got away from the dog walker," Mary explained, "and was hit by a car. He limped home, curled up on the stupid blanket that I gave you guys when you took him, and died." She angrily wiped away a few tears that had fallen. "It's stupid to be crying over that dog. He hasn't even been mine for years."

Marshall wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. He kissed her temple. "It's not stupid. You did love him and he was yours for at least a little while. And he clearly still loved you."

She looked up at him. "How do you know?"

"Because it was your blanket that he wanted in the end." With his words, Mary burst into sobbing tears. Marshall held her close, rubbing her back as he whispered soothingly in her ear. He was unsurprised when she abruptly pulled back a few minutes later.

"We should get back outside," Mary said, wiping her eyes. "Who knows what those hellions of ours are up to."

"I'll be right behind you," he promised as she rose. Marshall waited until she walked outside to stand himself. He took the picture of Oscar that Abigail sent along with the letter and placed it on the mantel. "Good-bye, old friend."

**QUOTE PROMPT #156 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"_Lucky for you, my interests are varied, my career options infinite. If this whole thing goes horribly pear-shaped, whatever's next for me, my coat-tails are always there for you._

"It's gone."

Marshall's eyes widened as he took in the sight in front of him. It was nearly three in the morning. Mary stood in her pajamas with Norah in one arm and her niece, Adriana, in the other. They all looked disheveled; Mary, in particular, looked near-panicked.

"What happened?" Marshall asked, clamping down his own alarm. He grabbed Adriana and ushered them inside.

"The house burnt down," Mary explained. She ran her hand through her tangled hair. "They think it was electrical. I was only able to grab the kids and get out. Everything's gone. All I have is what was in the minivan, which thankfully, included my overnight bag and the diaper bag."

Marshall grabbed her and hugged her close, horrified over the thought that he could have lost her and the girls. "I'm so sorry, Mary. So, so sorry."

Mary sniffed. "Can we stay with you for the night? It's so late to check into a hotel and Jinx is out of town. I know it's an imposition, but-"

"It's not," he interrupted, forcefully. "You are welcome to stay here as long as you want. My house is your house."

"Thanks." Mary snuggled, unconsciously, into his neck. She would never admit it, but from the time she got the girls out of the house, the only thing she wanted was to be safe in Marshall's arms, the one person that she could always count on. "It may be longer than a day. Jinx has a really small apartment."

Marshall leaned down and gave her a brief kiss. "You can stay here forever."


	53. Chapter 53

_Author's Note: Special thanks to **Jojo**, **BrittanyLS**, **JMS529**, **Jayne Leigh**, and **JJ2008** for the reviews! And sorry to anyone waiting on reviews and updates from me. I've been on vacation for the last week and am all out of sorts!_

**QUOTE PROMPT #157 – JINX/BRANDI/NORAH**

"_I think it's called 'kissing it better'"_

"You don't think it's a little odd that she didn't answer the phone when you called?" Brandi asked Jinx as they entered Mary's house with Norah and Brandi's son, Evan.

"She said that it was going to be a late night. It's why she asked me to keep Norah," Jinx replied with a shrug. "Maybe she overslept."

Brandi frowned. "I still think that we should have waited until we talked to her before coming over."

Jinx rolled her eyes. "Nonsense. We-" Jinx stopped suddenly when a series of audible moans burst forth from Mary's bedroom. "Oh, my!"

"Is Mommy hurt?" Norah asked, her eyes wide.

"Ohhhhh, right there. Right there," Mary groaned.

Brandi slapped her hand over her mouth to stop from laughing out loud. "Mommy's fine, real fine."

Jinx grabbed Norah's hand. "Come on, Bug. Let's go to the park."

"If Mommy's hurt, she needs a kiss to make it better," Norah protested.

"Marshall! Marshall!" Mary called out. Marshall yelled out her name in response.

Jinx and Brandi exchanged amused glances before Jinx scooped Norah up and hastily made her way to the front door. "See, Marshall's in there to make sure that Mommy's all better. We'll come check on her later."

Norah nodded. "Mommy says Marshall makes everything better."

**QUOTE PROMPT #158 – MARY/MARSHALL/MARK/NORAH**

"_No one likes the idea of hearing what you're thinking."_

"You told me I could take her!" Mark yelled. His face was red with frustration.

"You, not your girlfriend that we've never met!" Mary shot back.

Mark balled his hands. "I'm going to be there, too."

Mary huffed. "No, you're going to sleep there… for four nights out of the two weeks. When you actually have time for your kid, then you can take her for two weeks."

"She is my kid, too, Mary! You don't get to make all the rules!" Mark was steaming now. "I didn't say anything when your husband took her to visit his family without you!"

"She is with Marshall every single day! The situations are no where near the same!"

Mark opened his mouth to argue more, but shut it abruptly when Norah entered the living room, tears streaming down her face. "Stop it! Just stop!"

"What is going on here?" Marshall asked, walking into the house to find his step-daughter sobbing, his wife scowling, and Mark with a throbbing vein in his forehead.

Norah ran to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Mommy and Daddy are fighting over me."

Marshall looked at Mark and Mary, who looked away, ashamed. "Why?"

"Because Mommy doesn't want me to go with Daddy's girlfriend because she doesn't know her and Daddy's going to be working the whole time," Norah explained.

"I see," Marshall replied, hugging her close. "Little ears hear everything, don't they?"

Mary rolled her eyes and released a long breath. "Point made. We shouldn't have gotten into an argument, not with Norah in the house."

Marshall looked down at Norah and wiped away her tears. "What do you think about staying with your dad's girlfriend?"

"No one ever asks me what I think," Norah said, her voice full of resentment.

"Well, I'm asking you."

Mary sighed. "She's a child. She shouldn't think about this."

Norah moved away from Marshall and put her hands on her hips in perfect imitation of her mother. "I think about everything, Mom."

"What do you think about this?" Marshall asked, gently.

"I'm sorry, Daddy," Norah told him. "I don't want to stay with Moira. I don't know her. Can I come out for the four days that you will be home?"

Mark shook his head. "I won't have time to fly out and get you for such a short time."

Marshall held a hand up. "What if I fly out with Norah? I have a few days of vacation coming to me and I can continue on to visit my brother and his family. I'll swing by and grab her on the way back. Sound fair?"

"Yay!" Norah whooped when Mark and Mary agreed.

"Great. Now, why don't you spend the night at your dad's hotel like we planned. I'll pick you up in the morning before your daddy's flight? We can work out the details for your trip." Marshall chuckled when Norah ran off. He glanced at Mark. "I'm in a lot of trouble with my wife."

"Yep."

**QUOTE PROMPT #159 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"_You were right, you did do me a favor with that kiss."_

"What did I do?" Mary muttered to herself. She hit her head off the bar, drawing the looks of the other patrons. "How could I be so stupid?"

"I thought I'd find you here," a familiar voice said. The body it belonged to plopped down next to her.

Mary rolled her head towards him, a blush creeping up her neck. "What are you doing here?"

Marshall signaled the bartender for two more shots of tequila. "I'm here to see you."

"You shouldn't be here!" Mary hissed. She sat up, suddenly. "You should be off apologizing to your fiance and promising to never be around me again."

"I could be doing that," Marshall handed her one of the shots. He clinked his own shot with hers before downing it, "but I would have to have a fiance in order to do that."

Mary's eyes widened. "No, no, no. I- No. Marshall, you can't do this."

He shrugged, grabbing her shot and taking it. "I can and I did."

"You do not end an engagement because of one kiss!" she protested.

"You do for that kiss," Marshall replied, calmly. His face grew serious when he realized that she was beginning to panic. Marshall grabbed her hand. "That kiss is everything that I have ever wanted, everything that I have been waiting for. I would have been miserable if I had married Abigail. Sure, it may have taken a few years, but she's not who I want. She is not who I yearn for."

Mary's breath hitched and she leaned closer to him. "Who do you... yearn for?"

Marshall tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "The only woman that I have ever yearned for: you."

"Marshall," she whispered before he captured her mouth, knocking her down to her toes. By the time they pulled away from each other, their bodies where intertwined. "Wow."

"Wow," he repeated.

Mary placed her hand on his chest, feeling the steady drum of his heartbeat. "I think we need to experiment with this kissing a little more, make sure that it's the right path for you... preferably, horizontally."

Marshall grabbed her arm, threw down money on the bar, and pulled her out of the bar not ten seconds later.


	54. Chapter 54

Author's Note: Special thanks to **JMS529**, **Jojo**, **BrittanyLS**, **JJ2008**, and **Jayne Leigh** for the reviews!

**QUOTE PROMPT #160 – MARY/MARSHALL/JINX/ETC**

"_It's hard to say what happened exactly. For the most part, it depends on who you ask. There are as many sides to a story as there are pairs of eyes. It's always been that way. One of those sides must be closer to the truth, but we'll never know which one"_

"Norah did it!" Sarah exclaimed.

"I did not!" Norah yelled back. "I don't know who did it, but I know Grandma was near it."

Jinx looked aghast. "I can't believe you girls are accusing me. Really, Mary, I was nowhere near it. I seem to remember Marshall nearby."

Marshall frowned. "Really, Jinx?" He rolled his eyes when she shrugged. Marshall held up his hands. "You know that I didn't do it."

"Well, somebody did it," Mary growled, "and until that person fesses up, it's going to be hell around here!"

"Mare," Marshall said in a soothing voice. He put his hands on her shoulders, "why don't you go lay down? I'll be there in a minute to rub your back." He waited until Mary reached their bed, grumbling the entire time, to turn to Jinx and the girls. "Okay, you know what this means: Code Red. Jinx, take the girls back to your place. I'll let you know when it's safe to come back."

Jinx placed her hand on his arm. "Good luck, dear."

Marshall kissed the girls good-bye before following Mary down the hallway to the bedroom. He found her sprawled out naked in the center of the bed. Marshall began to remove his own clothes.

"You're going to have to find a new way to get some alone time," Marshall told her, kneeling on the bed. He ran his hands up her thighs. "We're almost out of coffee mugs."

**QUOTE PROMPT #161 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"_All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us."_

"So, here, we are," Mary said.

"Here, we are," Marshall repeated.

Mary breathed out slowly. "How much time do we have?"

He glanced at his watch. "Jinx should be back with the kids in just about an hour."

"Perfect," she replied. "That gives us just enough time."

"What are- oh!" Marshall was cut off suddenly when Mary's lips thrust onto his.

Marshall was panting by the time she broke the kiss. Between work and the kids lately, they had had little time to themselves. He had nearly forgotten just how fast she was able to rev his engine. He stood there, lost in images of her under him and over him and beside him.

"What are doing standing there, doofus?" Mary asked, breaking through his thoughts. "We have less than an hour and I'd really like to get the kids' room cleaned out before they get back. You know they never let us do it when they're here."

"Wait, what?"

Mary shot him an exasperated look. "Didn't you listen to anything that I said?"

Marshall's eyes narrowed. "No, and it doesn't matter because we're not cleaning."

"We're not?" Her eyes twinkled and she began to tingle in a few places.

"No," Marshall told her. He stalked towards her. "And if you're not naked under me in two minutes, you're getting a spanking."

Mary's laughter echoed throughout the house.

**QUOTE PROMPT #162- MARY/MARSHALL**

_"This is your prison. Your technology will not function here. There are no luxuries, no worshipers, no slaves to do your bidding."_

This was exactly what she needed, Mary thought to herself. She was staying in a small cabin tucked in the Sandia Mountains. There were no computers, no cell phone reception, not even any electricity. She had planned to spend the week completely alone, but a last minute tantrum by her niece had her bringing the girls with her. They seemed to understand that Mary needed a respite and were content to play quietly for the most part.

They were doing just that, sitting on the porch playing with plastic blocks while Mary sat curled up in the chair, alternating staring at the trees and the girls. Her mind flitted between mistakes of her past and the direction her was currently moving. She had been completely engrossed in the memory of when Marshall found out about her engagement when Norah jumped up suddenly.

"Marshall!" she screamed, running as fast as her little legs would carry her towards him. "Marshall!"

"Hiya, Bug!" Marshall replied, tossing her into the air before covering her with kisses. He continued to walk to the cabin, carrying her on his hip.

Mary meet him at the top of the stairs, her niece in her arms. "What are you doing here?"

Marshall frowned, tickling the other girl. "I came to see you."

"You should be getting married."

"And you should be there with me. You're my best friend," Marshall countered. He smiled down at Norah, who was watching them, solemnly. "Besides, I'm not getting married anymore."

Mary's jaw dropped. "Wha-what do you mean?"

He took a step closer to her. "I'm not getting married, not to Abigail, anyway. See, it seems that as soon as I found out that you weren't going to be there, it just... all fell apart. I realized that I couldn't go forward with it without you and that made me rethink the entire situation."

"You're talking in riddles again," she told him, rubbing her forehead.

"Okay, how's this? I love you, Mary. I am in love with you. I can't remember a time that I wasn't. I've tried to get you out of my system, but I can't. And honestly? I'm not sure that I want to." Marshall raised an eyebrow. "How was that for straightforward?"

Mary grabbed the back of his and pulled him down for a wicked kiss. She was smiling when she finally released him. "It's not bad."

Marshall glanced down at the two little girls. "Why don't we take these little buggers for a walk? Wear them out so that we can talk?"

"I have a better idea. Let's go back to civilization and drop them off to Jinx for the night."

"Deal."


	55. Chapter 55

_Author's Note: Special thanks to **JMS529, Jayne Leigh, BrittanyLS, **and** JJ2008** for the reviews!_

**QUOTE PROMPT #164 – MARY/MARK**

"_The speed of light is 299,792,458 meters per second. Pain travels through the body at 350 feet per second. Even a sneeze can reach a hundred miles per hour. And as for life? Well... that just bloody whizzes by."_

Mark sat on the picnic table, watching as his daughter climbed the jungle gym at the park. "When did she decide her favorite color was yellow?"

Mary, who was sitting on the bench, shrugged. "A few months ago. I think she's rebelling. I mean, yellow? Come on."

"And liking sushi? That's new," he commented.

"Yeah, Marshall took her out on a little date last month and she fell in love with it. Every time we let her pick dinner, that's what she chooses," Mary explained.

Mark frowned. "She's been calling me 'Dad' and not 'Daddy'."

She chuckled. "Yeah, well, I've gotten 'Mother' a few times so consider yourself lucky."

"How can you be so calm about all these changes?"

"I... see them every day, Mark," Mary told him. "I'm used to them."

His eyes flashed with anger. "I'm not going to apologize for moving away. I needed to for my job. I've never been so happy at one and I'm good at it, Mare, really good at it."

Mary tossed her hands up. "Whoa. I didn't say you had to move back here. But, you know, calling more than once every two weeks wouldn't be such a bad idea. Maybe, you could make a few more visits out here. Life goes on, Mark. I'm not going to apologize for that. But if you're not careful, you're going miss out on her entire life."

**QUOTE PROMPT #165 – MARY/BRANDI**

"_There are imaginary numbers now. Are there unicorns in the next lesson? Can somebody please teach me something useful like how to balance a checkbook?"_

Brandi looked up from cleaning the bar and her heart sunk. Standing in front of her, with a scowl on her face, was her sister. Taking a deep breath, Brandi slapped a coaster on the bar. "What can I get for you, Mary?"

"How about the truth?" Mary challenged.

"The truth about what?"

Mary sat down on the bar stool. "Why'd you leave? _How_ could you leave? You are his mother!"

Brandi's nostrils flared. "It's not like I abandoned him. I left him with you!"

"I'm not his mother!"

"Well, I didn't know how to be!" Brandi took a moment to compose herself. "It's not like anyone taught me."

Mary slammed her fist on the bar. "No one taught me, either, but I sucked it up and figured it out! Not only that, you had me! You had Mom! Hell, you even had Marshall! We all rallied around you to make you successful and still, you walked away."

Brandi shrugged. "Well, you're just a better person than I am. You always were."

"So, that's it? That's all you have to say for yourself?" Mary asked her.

"That's it," Brandi confirmed.

Mary stood up. "You should call Mom sometime. She's worried about you."

Brandi closed her eyes, briefly, when Mary started to walk away. "Mary, wait! How- how is he?"

"He's fine; growing bigger every day." Mary rolled her shoulders. "He and Marshall are very close. He's been calling Marshall 'Dada'."

"That's good. He should. Marshall's a good guy. He should call you 'Mom'."

Mary smiled, sadly, before turning and walking out the door. She was certain that she would never see her sister again. This time, however, she just wasn't sure that she wanted to find her again.

**QUOTE PROMPT #166 – MARY/MARSHALL**

"_You throw that rubber spider at me again, and I'm going for my staple gun."_

"What do you have there?" Mary demanded.

"Nothing," Marshall said, trying to keep his voice as innocent as possible.

Mary took a few steps away from him. "I can tell that you're hiding something behind your back! What is it?"

Marshall shrugged. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"It's an ice cube, Mommy!" Norah squealed.

"Marshall, I swear, if you-" Mary cut off suddenly when Marshall leapt towards her. She took off running through the backyard with Marshall hot on her trail, laughing maniacally. He nearly cornered her by the fence, but she veered off and run into the house.

Marshall followed her, slamming the door behind him. He reached out and stopped the bedroom door from closing before she was able to do it. He grabbed her by the waist and tossed her on the bed, covering her body with his body. He held the ice cube up for her to see.

"You really don't want to do that," Mary warned him.

"Oh, but, Mare, your skin is looking rather flushed," he told her. "I think you need cooled down."

Mary shrieked when the cube touched the top part of her breast. "You son-of-a-bitch!"

Marshall dragged her tank top and bra down to reveal her left nipple. He caressed it with the ice cube until it stood erect. "Lucky for you, Jinx and the girls are outside." He rolled off of her and sucked the ice cube into his mouth.

"Unluckily for you," Mary sat up and adjusted her clothing, "Jinx is taking the girls for the night. Hope the ice cube was worth it."


End file.
